KEY POINTS
- Innocent Ike appointed CEO of Access Holdings.
- Agbede returns to her executive director role.
- Appointment follows CBN corporate governance rules.
Access Holdings Plc has appointed Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, after receiving regulatory clearance.
The decision comes just hours after Roosevelt Ogbonna stepped down from the board to comply with new corporate governance rules set by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Ike replaces Bolaji Agbede, who has led the company in an acting capacity for 18 months following the death of former CEO Herbert Wigwe.
Bolaji Agbede returns to executive director role
Agbede will now return to her position as Executive Director for Business Support. Access Holdings Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said Ike’s appointment marks “a new phase” for the group, while praising Agbede for stabilizing the workforce, executing a N351 billion rights issue, and guiding the company through two annual general meetings.
“Her outstanding contributions over the past 18 months have been invaluable,” Aig-Imoukhuede further said in a statement.
Innocent Ike takes over Access Holdings leadership
Ike, while speaking on his appointment, said he was honored to assume the role and committed to building on the legacy of Wigwe and Agbede. “I look forward to driving our vision forward and also delivering value to shareholders and stakeholders,” he said.
Veteran banker further brings decades of experience
A graduate of the University of Lagos and 1988 Best Graduating Student in Accounting, Ike is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He is also a certified IFRS expert.
With over three decades in banking and financial services, Ike previously spent 10 years at Access Bank before becoming CEO of Polaris Bank from 2020 to 2022, where he introduced the award-winning digital platform VULTe.
