Within the next decade and a half, Rotary jumped over the Kalahari Desert, the Kilimanjaro Mountain, the Great African Lakes, and the Sahara to land on the Mediterranean shores of North Africa, reaching Cairo, Egypt on 2nd January 1929, through the effort of the Canadian Col. James W. Davidson; after that to Casablanca, Morocco; Algiers in Algeria; back south to Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe), and on to Nairobi, Kenya in the east, all in the same year 1930. Rotary’s journey continued to Tunisia in 1935, Sudan in 1938 and finally to Senegal in West Africa, in 1939. Dakar would remain the Rotary lone star in the region’s skies for seventeen (17) years after which period Rotary reached Cote d’Ivoire in 1956 and Cameroon and Chad in 1957, both French speaking countries.

The first English-speaking country in the region to receive Rotary was Ghana, the newly independent nation, through the initiative of an indigene, a peculiarly exciting history worth mentioning. In Ghana, Rotary was introduced through the singular effort of an African (Ghanaian) Accountant named Michael Daniel Quist, who worked with the American oil company TEXACO in Accra and had previously studied in the UK where he got to know about Rotary through regular invitation by British Rotarians. Ironically, though, membership of the Premier Club, the Rotary Club of Accra, was dominated (73%) by white expatriates who were leaders in the then well-known businesses and professions. A minority Ghanaian membership of seven was included in this group – three politicians, two members of Parliament from the ruling party and the third, the Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister, Kwame Nkrumah.

The extension of Rotary throughout the English–speaking West African countries would be achieved mainly through the initiative of the Rotary Club of Accra, under the leadership of Michael Daniel Quist. He spearheaded the Rotary Extension Campaign into Nigeria and organized Rotary Clubs of Kano, Lagos and Ibadan in Nigeria, and Freetown in Sierra Leone. Through his historical external family links in neighboring Togo he also introduced Rotary to that country. In Rotary year 1968-1969 there existed in our West African region only twenty-one (21) clubs with small numbers of Rotarians in twelve countries, that is seven (7) clubs in Nigeria, four (4) clubs in Ghana, and one in each of the remaining countries. Therefore the region did not qualify to be designated as a Rotary District.

The West African Rotarians, eager to build a viable regional Rotary community, started holding annual conferences; the first was held in Accra on 21-23 March 1968, attended by eleven (11) clubs coming from Ghana, Dahomey now Benin, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, namely: Accra, Bamako, Cotonou, Freetown, Ibadan, Kano, Kumasi, Lagos, Monrovia, Takoradi, Tema. Four subsequent annual conferences followed at different venues. The fifth retook place in Accra on 8-12 March 1972 with the participation of the Rotary Clubs of Freetown, Monrovia, Enugu, Ibadan, Ikeja, Kaduna, Accra, Accra-West, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Tamale, Tema, and Lome, the new club from Togo making it the seventh member-country.

The fifth Annual West African Conference, attended by R. I. President Ernst G. Breitholtz, represented the turning point for district status and through a balloting of majority of clubs Francois Amorin was selected as the District Governor-Nominee for the Rotary year 1973-1974 and subsequently formally elected the first District Governor of District 210.

Per the By-Laws of Rotary International, the District Governor must organize two events, namely the District Assembly and the District Conference, during his year in office.

During the first five-year period of District 210, club extension was stagnant; only three new clubs were created: Nouakchott in Mauritania, Abidjan-Cocody in Cote d’Ivoire (1978) and Banjul in The Gambia (1979). A decision by the R.I. Board in Rotary year 1976-1977 changed the numerical designation of District 210 to District 910 of which Rotarian Sam Okudzeto became the first Governor. As new countries appeared on the West Africa Rotary map, Rotary extension gained momentum notably in Nigeria due to the oil boom. A single Governor could no longer discharge his duties effectively over such a vast geographical territory as D910. It became obvious that re-districting was the solution. R.I. ceded territory from D910 to form two new Districts – D911 and D915.

In the Rotary year 1991-1992, the R.I. Board added the number zero (0) to all existing districts worldwide, thus altering D910 to D9100. District 9100 constituted a larger part of the West African Sub-Region of Africa, south of the Sahara. It comprised fourteen countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Indeed D9100 was at the time the largest geographic district in the Rotary world. There was the need for redistricting again of District 9100.

After a lengthy process, the Board of Directors of Rotary International, “agreed to reorganize the clubs in District 9100 into two new districts 9101 and 9102, effective 1 July 2013.

Ten years later, District 9102 will be redistricted into District 9103 (Benin, Niger & Togo) and District 9104 (Ghana) and from 1st July 2023. The history is yet to be told …. Watch This Space!

The journey of District 9102 commenced on July 1, 2013, after the Board of Directors of Rotary International, at its meeting on January 23-28, 2011, agreed to reorganize the clubs in District 9100 into two new districts, effective July 1, 2013, as follows:

• District 9101: Cape Verde, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire

• District 9102: Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Niger

The new District 9102, begun its journey, which lasted exactly ten (10) years, with 66 clubs and 1,940 Rotarians.

The ceremony to invest the first District Governor Winfred A. Mensah was held at the Fiesta Royale Hotel, Accra, Ghana on July 13, 2013. PFirstt were Past District Governor Francois Amorin (first District Governor, District 210 in 1973-74), Past Rotary International Director Sam Okudzeto (first District Governor, District 910 in 1977-78) and others.

The occasion set the path for increased efficiency in district administration and a solid foundation for sustained membership growth, impactful service projects, Rotary visibility and support for the Rotary Foundation in all four (4) member Countries of D9102.

The new District 9102, begun its journey, which lasted exactly ten (10) years, with 66 clubs and 1,940 Rotarians.

The requirement for a Rotary District is to have at least 75 clubs with a minimum of 2,700 Rotarians. All the ten (10) District Governors led committed and enthusiastic Rotarians to prosecute the Rotary agenda and grow D9102 from 66 clubs with 1,940 Rotarians as at July 1, 2013 to 123 clubs with 3,146 Rotarians as at June 30, 2023. The upward growth over the ten-year period of D9102 was achieved through meticulous planning and effective growth strategies underpinned mainly by extension efforts (the formation of new clubs).

Even though D9102 had its own growth agenda, the focus on membership growth in Africa in order to have and sustain a Rotary Zone was an underlying motivation for districts in Africa. Africa had the status of a Rotary Zone from July 1, 2019, with Past Rotary International Director/Vice President Olayinka Babalola as the first Director. He played a pivotal role in the re-districting of D9102. Some of the reasons for the previous re-districting (D9100 to D9101 and D9102) were still pertaining, albeit on a lower scale, particularly with geographical size (4 Countries) and language barrier (2 official languages). After the 2021 District Conference, a resolution was presented to the Board of Directors of Rotary International, who at its November 2021 meeting tentatively agreed to split District 9102 into Districts 9103 and 9104 (effective July 1, 2023) provided:

• The district has 20 or more members in at least 80% of its clubs by 1 July 2022

• 90% of its clubs are at least 3 years old by 1 July 2022 A Re-districting committee was formed to work towards the attainment of the first condition. The second condition was waived due to the growth trends over the period.

Rotarians in D9102 have once again made a mark in Rotary by serving in various R.I positions and programmes. D9102 has produced and continues to produce worthy and distinguished R.I. President’s Special Representatives for district conferences in other parts of the Rotary world. Some have served on R.I committees, several have served at the regional level as Rotary/Assistant Coordinators, and others have featured as resource persons at International Conventions, Zone Institutes and other international gatherings.

It is hoped that the two new districts will see an increased relevance of Rotary in Togo, Benin and Niger (District 9103) and Ghana (District 9104) through impactful projects, enhanced membership growth and engagement, increased support for the Rotary Foundation, coordinated Public Image efforts and efficient district administration.

Rotary was born thanks to Paul HARRIS February 23, 1905.

1 Club created in Africa: RC of Johannesburg in April 1921

West Africa
• 1939 – Senegal
• 1956 – Ivory Coast
• 1957 – Cameroon
• 1958 – 1st Club in Ghana
• 1965 – 1st Club in Benin
• 1967 – 1st Club in Niger
• 1968 – 1st Club in Togo

• 1969: 21 Clubs with 7 in Nigeria, 4 in Ghana

July 1, 1973: District 210
• 1st Governor François AMORIN
• 1976 – 1977: The Central Council changed the numerical designation 210 to 910.
•1st Governor Sam OKUDZETO
• 1982: District 910 in West Africa without Nigeria
• District 911 Nigeria
• District 915 Central Africa

1991-1992: The Central Council decided to add zero to all existing districts 910 becomes 9100 with 14 countries, the largest Rotary Geographic District in the world.

2013 – 2014: District 9100 is divided into two districts: D9101 and D9102 1st Governor Winfred MENSAH of D9102.

2023-2024: New division into two districts: 9103 and 9104
• D9103 (Benin-Niger-Togo) Governor Germain TOMEGAH
• D9104 (Ghana) Governor Dave AMANKWAH