Access Holdings Plc has appointed Mr. Innocent Ike as its new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval. The announcement was made in a statement signed by the company secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, just hours after Roosevelt Ogbonna resigned from the board in compliance with new corporate governance rules issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Mr. Ike’s appointment ends the 18-month acting leadership of Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who took charge after the passing of former Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe, in 2024. During her stewardship, Agbede was credited with steering the organization through a period of transition, maintaining workforce stability, executing a N351 billion rights issue, and successfully organizing two annual general meetings. She now returns to her substantive role as Executive Director, Business Support.
In his remarks, Chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described Ike’s appointment as the beginning of a new era for the group. He commended Agbede for her resilience and exceptional contributions during a challenging period, noting that her leadership provided a solid foundation on which the new CEO could build. He emphasized that the change was a regulatory necessity but also a strategic move to strengthen the company’s long-term growth trajectory.
Mr. Ike, in his acceptance speech, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead and pledged to continue advancing the group’s vision of delivering value to shareholders and stakeholders. He highlighted his commitment to building on the legacy of his predecessors, Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede, and to driving innovation, expansion, and financial resilience across the group’s operations.
A seasoned banker with more than three decades of experience, Ike is a University of Lagos graduate and Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He previously served as Managing Director of Polaris Bank between 2020 and 2022, where he launched the award-winning digital banking platform, VULTe. His track record in banking and finance, combined with his expertise as a certified IFRS professional, positions him to guide Access Holdings into its next phase of growth.
