Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following approval from regulators.

The appointment comes just hours after Roosevelt Ogbonna resigned from the company’s board in line with new corporate governance guidelines introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ike takes over from Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has led the company in an acting capacity for the past 18 months, following the tragic passing of former Group CEO Herbert Wigwe in 2024. Agbede will now return to her role as Executive Director, Business Support.

Leadership Transition

In a statement, Access Holdings Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described Ike’s appointment as the beginning of a new chapter for the group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Innocent Ike as we move forward. At the same time, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Ms. Bolaji Agbede. Her outstanding contributions over the past 18 months have been invaluable, and we appreciate her dedication in navigating the Company through challenges and opportunities,” he said.

Under Agbede’s leadership, Access Holdings achieved key milestones, including:

• Workforce stability
• The execution of a ₦351 billion rights issue
• The successful hosting of two annual general meetings

Ike’s Background

Expressing his gratitude, Ike said:

“I am honoured to take on the role of Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and excited to work alongside the talented team at Access Holdings. I look forward to building on the strong legacy established by Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede, and driving our vision forward to deliver exceptional value to shareholders and stakeholders.”

Ike is a graduate of the University of Lagos, where he emerged Best Graduating Student in Accounting (1988). He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, as well as a certified IFRS expert.

With over 30 years of banking and financial services experience, Ike previously spent a decade at Access Bank, rising to the position of General Manager, before serving as MD/CEO of Polaris Bank (2020–2022), where he oversaw the launch of VULTe, the bank’s award-winning digital platform.