Access Holdings Plc has confirmed the appointment of Innocent Ike as its new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following the approval of financial regulators.
The decision brings an end to the 18-month acting tenure of Bolaji Agbede, who stepped into the role after the sudden death of former CEO Herbert Wigwe in February 2024.
Although Agbede successfully steered the company through a turbulent period, regulatory requirements on minimum experience for financial holding company CEOs prevented her confirmation. She will now return to her position as Executive Director, Business Support.
Access Holdings Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, praised Agbede for her leadership during the transition, highlighting her efforts in stabilising the organisation and restoring investor confidence. Under her watch, the group recorded major milestones, including a successful ₦351 billion rights issue, workforce stabilisation, and the smooth conduct of two Annual General Meetings.
The incoming CEO, Innocent Ike, brings more than 30 years of banking and leadership experience. A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), he graduated as the best accounting student from the University of Lagos in 1988.
His career spans senior roles at Access Bank, where he managed corporate, commercial, and public sector portfolios, as well as his tenure as CEO of Polaris Bank (2020–2022), where he pioneered VULTe, the bank’s award-winning digital platform.
With Ike’s appointment, stakeholders and investors will be watching closely as Access Holdings continues its growth trajectory under new leadership.
