Access Holdings appoints Innocent Ike as substantive GMD/CEO
Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Innocent Ike as the substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following the receipt of regulatory approval.
In a statement by the Chief Communications Officer, Amaechi Okobi, Ike will succeed Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has served as the company’s Acting Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer for the past 18 months and has played a vital role in driving the Company’s performance.
According to the statement, Agbede will revert to her substantive role as the company’s Executive Director, Business Support due to regulatory stipulations on the required years of experience for a Financial Holding Company’s Managing Director.
Commenting on the development, the Company’s Chairman, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, welcomed Ike as the company moves forward and expressed gratitude to Agbede for her outstanding and invaluable contributions over the past 18 months.
“We appreciate her dedication in navigating the Company through challenges and opportunities. While regulatory requirements necessitate this change, we are grateful for the strong foundation that has been laid,” he said.
Speaking on the appointment, Ike said he is honoured to take on the role and is 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, ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional value to our shareholders and stakeholders,” he stated.
Ike graduated from the University of Lagos with a BSc (Hons) in Accounting in 1988, receiving recognition as the Best Graduating Student. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), and a Certified IFRS expert.
He has over three decades’ experience in banking and financial services, ten years of which were spent at Access Bank, where he rose to General Manager, overseeing portfolios in corporate, commercial, and public sectors.