Access Holdings has named Innocent Ike as Group CEO and Bolaji Agbede reverted to Executive Director Role.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that 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 succeeds Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has led the company as Acting GMD/CEO for the past 18 months. Agbede, who steered the institution through a critical transition period, will now return to her substantive role as Executive Director, Business Support, in line with regulatory requirements on years of experience for financial holding company CEOs.
During her tenure, Agbede oversaw key milestones, including the smooth transition after the death of former GCEO Herbert Wigwe, successful execution of the company’s ₦351 billion rights issue, and the seamless hosting of two annual general meetings.
Chairman of Access Holdings, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR, praised her leadership, stating:
“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 contributions over the past 18 months have been invaluable in navigating the company through challenges and opportunities.”
Ike, an accomplished banker with more than three decades of experience, was previously Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank between 2020 and 2022. During his tenure, he introduced VULTe, the bank’s digital platform, which won several awards including BusinessDay BAFI Digital Bank of the Year and Nigerian Fintech Digital Bank of the Year in 2021 and 2022.
A graduate of the University of Lagos, Ike holds a BSc (Hons) in Accounting and was the best graduating student of his set. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), as well as a certified IFRS expert.
Speaking on his appointment, Ike said:
“I am honoured to take on this role and excited to work alongside the talented team at Access Holdings. I look forward to building on the strong legacy of Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede, and to driving our vision of delivering exceptional value to shareholders and stakeholders.”
Access Holdings reaffirmed its commitment to becoming the world’s most respected African financial services group, noting that Ike’s appointment positions the company for sustained growth and expansion.
