Access Holdings Plc has confirmed the appointment of Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director (GMD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval.
Gatekeepers News reports that Ike takes over from Bolaji Agbede, who has served as acting GMD/CEO for the past 18 months.
She will now return to her role as Executive Director, Business Support, in line with regulatory requirements on experience for financial holding company leadership positions.
During her tenure, Agbede steered the company through a critical transition period, ensuring workforce stability, overseeing the execution of a ₦351 billion rights issue, and successfully hosting two Annual General Meetings.
The company’s board expressed appreciation for Agbede’s leadership while welcoming Ike, who brings more than 30 years of experience in banking and financial services.
Ike is a graduate of the University of Lagos and a fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN),
The new CEO previously served as Managing Director of Polaris Bank between 2020 and 2022, where he introduced the award-winning digital banking platform VULTe.
Access Holdings stated that Ike’s appointment aligns with its vision of becoming the world’s most respected African financial services group, adding that his leadership will drive the company’s next phase of growth.
Before this, the bank had on Wednesday, announced that Roosevelt Ogbonna, its CEO has stepped down from his role as a non-executive director on the board of Access Holdings.
