Banerjee expressed the optimism when he spoke with reporters in the oil rich city of Port Harcourt in Nigeria. The world president was in that country on a working tour of Rotary Districts to commend Rotarians and the Nigeria government for their sustained efforts at eradicating polio.

He also ascertained the strategies employed by them to achieve the near zero case status of polio infection in the country. Banerjee later challenged them to identify other critical areas of human need and render humanity service to them.

The strategy used in Nigeria was an initiative of the Nigeria governors’ forum. The module mandated government at the different levels of Federal, state and local government to undertake a proactive campaign that span one week each month.

During the period, the president, governor or the local government chair and medical practitioners lead their teams from house to house to vaccinate the children who are between ages one to five. Sometimes, the children converge at a playground for the exercise.

The Rotary christened their effort as PolioPlus and with it; they undertake the vaccination exercise in selected communities. The world President said one billion dollars is committed every year to the course. This is the sole focus of Rotary and will continue until polio is finally eradicated.

The Port Harcourt District 9140 District Governor, Olayinka Babalola and his team of officers received the world president on arrival at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa. His wife, Binota, accompanied the World President of Rotary International Kalyan Banerjee and together they paid a courtesy visit on Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State.

Then Banerjee moved to the Psychiatric Hospital, Port Harcourt where he inaugurate the canteen and kitchen used by inmates of the Hospital, Port Harcourt that was renovated by the Rotary club Port Harcourt GRA. They also re-furnished the facility within two weeks of the work.

A library was inaugurated at the Rotary Centre Port Harcourt. It was followed rotary family meeting where Banerjee commended Nigerian Rotarians for keeping the lead in Africa as the greatest contributing country to the Rotary foundation.

Barnerjee said that though Rotary would not take up responsibilities of the government at addressing socio-economic issues of the people, it was willing to collaborate with it in creating investment opportunities for the teeming youth population. This would meaningful engage the youths and channel their energies in productive activities.

He noted that Rotary International was concluding plans to develop a social network platform online that would increase access to Rotary activities and encourage the sharing of knowledge for future humanitarians.

The District Governor Olayinka Babalola said eleven states constituted Port Harcourt District 9140. It has a 2011 target of increasing its membership from two thousand five hundred to four thousand people by the end of the year.

He was instituting an award to reward any club that triples its membership. The district cumulatively had contributed over a billion dollars to Rotary foundation.

World Rotary International President left Nigeria after his two days visit for Ghana to spur them to increase efforts against the polio scourge. There are about two hundred and twenty countries with rotary presence in the world.