Our Story

As told by Past President Simiyu Oyetunji – 1990-1991

The club held its first or inaugural meeting in 1981 at the residence of Chief J. M. ST. MATHEW DANIEL, 856 ABOYADE COLE STREET, VICTORIA IALAND.

Thereafter the weekly meetings of the club were held in EKO HOTEL, ADETOKUNBOH ADEMOLA STRETT, VICTORIA ISLAND. The meeting venue moved to Federal Palace Hotel in July, 1989. Much later the meeting venue moved to the present location, LAGOS MOTOR BOAT CLUB, AWOLOWO ROAD, SW IKOYI.

The Club was Chartered in 1982 and a CHARTER CEREMONY was held mid -1882 to mark the occasion. Thereafter, ANNUAL INDUCTION CEREMONIES were held to usher in the new President and the Executive.

In 1984, Lagos State Government made allocation of a large parcel of land to the club on AMODU OJIKUTU TREET, OFF SAKA TINUBU STREET, for the DEVELOPMENT OF RECREATION AREA.

The club immediately went ahead by developing a STANDARD TENNIS COURT and INSTALLLING SWINGS and PLAYING ACTIVITIES for children. The then Governor Gbolahan Mudashiru, was represented by Dr Babatunde Onipede, a State Commissioner, for the commissioning of the FIRST PHASE of the PROJECT. A photo album of the commissioning event was one of the items I left with the club in March, 2011.

The club employed security men at the FENCED GATE, 24/7, so that items therein were safe.

Much later, under another Military Governor, the parcel of land was re-allocated for residential development, such that individuals built houses, right and left on the land with ADEGBITE street or close created in the middle.

NOTE: The 8 – 12 houses built there by the Allottees is an indication of the size of land area allocated to RC of Victoria Island for development.

The club issued weekly bulletins called ROTAVIC which detailed our weekly activities.

The club started INTERACT CLUBS in two high schools in Victoria Island CAREER ENLIGHTENMENT was done annually in the schools.

ESSAY COMPETITION, an RI District 9110 project, was done in the schools for some years.

ANNUAL LECTURES and INTER HOUSE SPORTS COMPETITION were organized at A.D.R.A.O INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, on Ahmadu Bello Way, with prizes, cups given to WINNERS.

The club started ROTARACT CLUB OF THE SCHOOL OF OCEANOGRAPHY. Some of the graduates of the school traveled around the world in ships. Pastor Abayomi Ademuwagun, now in Maryland USA with his CHURCH SERVICES, was a very Active Past President of the Rotaract Club of Oceanography.

Using a Towing Vehicle donated to Rotary Club of Victoria Island by JULIUS BERGER, RC VI set up VEHICLE ACCIDENT RECOVERY PROGRAM on the THIRD MAINLAND BRIDGE.

A computer project was set up in VI POLICE STATION for the recovery of missing or stolen vehicles. The data fed into the computers was used to identify the actual owners of the vehicles which were later returned to those owners.

The DIALYSIS PROJECT at Lagos Island hospital was commissioned during the tenure of PP SADE THOMAS FAHM (2009 – 2010)

In 1986/87 Rotary year, DG Dr, Dapo Tejuosho, now the OSILE OF OKE ONA EGBA in ABEOKUTA wrote to members of RC VI requesting that two new clubs – RC VI WEST and RC VI EAST be established in Victoria Island in addition to RC VI. Thus RC VI East was born with one of us, Rotarian Kola Ramos, as the Charter President of the new club

An OPERATION FEED THE POOR PROGRAM was set-up in VI with a PORTACABIN positioned within the premises of ETI-OSA LOCAL GOVERNMENT HEAD QUARTERS, such that food was being prepared in a pauper kitchen and served to the poor in the neighborhood every week.

INSTALLATION OF SAFETY SIGNS, THE 4 – WAY TESTS at BONNY CAMP ROUND ABOUT and at the entry into VI via FALOMO BRIDGE, that is at VI end of bridge.

WATER PROJECT – BORE HOLES AT BADORE IN ETI – OSA LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

This project was done and serviced for many years until accessing the location became a struggle.

2020 – 2021 YEAR

Our STAR project was the establishment of the “THE GLOBAL ROTARY RADIO”

Planted trees in the premises of INTERNATIONAL WOMEN SOCIETY (IWS) in Argungi, Lekki

Distribution of ante natal care products to women in OGOMBO Health Center

The Roofing of the Dining Hall in KURAMO JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, ABOYADE COLE STREET, Victoria island.