Access Holdings has confirmed the appointment of Innocent Ike as its Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. His tenure begins on August 29, 2025, after receiving regulatory approval.
The change ends Bolaji Agbede’s 18 months as Acting Group CEO. She took charge after the sudden death of Herbert Wigwe in February 2024. During that time, she steered Nigeria’s biggest bank by assets through a period marked by regulatory hurdles and investor doubts.
“Her outstanding contributions over the past 18 months have been invaluable, and we appreciate her dedication in navigating the Company through challenges and opportunities,” Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. “While regulatory requirements necessitate this change, we are grateful for the strong foundation that has been laid.”
Agbede’s leadership delivered several milestones. She supervised a ₦351 billion ($229 million) rights issue, stabilized the group’s workforce, and oversaw two Annual General Meetings without disruption. She will now return to her role as Executive Director, Business Support.
Ike steps in with more than three decades of banking experience. He spent ten years at Access Bank, where he managed corporate, commercial, and public sector portfolios. He later became CEO of Polaris Bank between 2020 and 2022, introducing the VULTe digital platform and collecting industry awards.
A chartered accountant, Ike is a fellow of both ICAN and CIBN. He graduated as the best student in accounting at the University of Lagos in 1988.
“I look forward to building on the strong legacy established by Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede,” Ike said in a statement. He promised to deliver “exceptional value to shareholders and stakeholders.”
