Expectations as Braimah Becomes President, Rotary Club of Lagos

Raheem Akingbolu

This Friday, at Cosmopolitan Club, Kofo Abayomi, Lagos, an entrepreneur and Marketing Communications practitioner, Mr. Ehi Braimah, will be installed as the 58th President of the Rotary Club of Lagos.

This is coming six years after Braimah; a University of Benin graduate of Industrial Mathematics joined the humanitarian club.

In the last 20 years, the incoming president has successfully stamped his footprints on many areas of human endeavour.

He started off as journalist with Complete Sports and later moved to the entertainment and hospitality business.

However, he is more popular today as a leading player in the Marketing Communications industry, where he runs an integrated marketing company –Neo Media and Marketing, with strengths in Events Management and Public Relations.

Speaking with THISDAY on what informed his decision to join the club and his plan as president, Braimah said he has weaved his plan around the motto of the club -‘Service Above’ to reflect the six focus areas of the club.

According to him, under basic education and literacy, he has about seven projects because the club likes to spend more time on education, healthcare and clean water. He pointed out that those areas were critical for members of the club globally
Braimah stated, “As a person, I’m passionate about humanity and I see Rotary Club as a good platform to contribute my quota to community development and touch lives.

“To me, if a country or a business organisation key into the objectives of Rotary as well as the six focus areas of the club, the world will be better for all.

On how he combines his interests in event management, entertainment and hospitality, with the activities of Rotary Club, Braimah said, “it is easy, depending on how one plans his day today activities.

“I will say we multi task and this is the time to do it. By the time we are 75, we will slow down and into full time retirement. Now we have full time energy and it’s time to work.

“When you see the dream of the founder of Rotary Club, Paul Harris, since February 23, 1905, it is clear that there’s nothing in this world but to continue to serve selflessly. I enjoy serving selflessly and that’s the vision behind the founding of Rotary. It’s a global humanitarian service organisation. That’s why the motto of Rotary is ‘service above self’.”

On the values the association added to his life, the 58th president of the club summed it up in few words. “It has redefined the essence of life in me and I’m happy about that”.

Speaking about what to expect on his inauguration day, he said as the oldest active club in the whole of Nigeria, the Rotary Club of Lagos is always aspire to be a pacesetter and to this end, a lot has been put in place to make the ceremony inspiring and memorable.

“Installation ceremony and inauguration of board of directors will hold today at the Cosmopolitan Club Lagos. It will also serve as a fund raising and dinner event. I will share the plans for the following year with members on that day and let those coming for the first time know what Rotary is all about. The Chairman of event will be Udeme Ufot, while the Guest Speaker will be Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi,” he stated.