Access Holdings Plc has appointed Mr. Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval.
Mr. Ike takes over from Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has steered the company in an acting capacity for 18 months, ensuring stability after the passing of former Group CEO Herbert Wigwe. She will revert to her role as Executive Director, Business Support, in line with regulatory requirements on experience for Financial Holding Company CEOs.
During Agbede’s tenure, the company completed a landmark N351 billion rights issue, successfully hosted two annual general meetings, and maintained operational stability across its businesses.
Announcing the leadership change, Access Holdings Chairman, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described Agbede’s contributions as “invaluable” and expressed confidence in Ike’s ability to drive the company’s next growth phase.
A graduate of the University of Lagos and Fellow of both ICAN and CIBN, Ike brings over three decades of banking and financial services experience. He previously served as Managing Director of Polaris Bank, where he oversaw the launch of its award-winning digital banking platform, VULTe.
Commenting on his appointment, Ike said he was honoured to lead the Group and pledged to build on the legacy of his predecessors, driving Access Holdings closer to its ambition of becoming “the world’s most respected African financial services group.”
