Lagos, Nigeria – August 29, 2025– Access Holdings Plc, one of Africa’s leading financial services groups, has today announced the appointment of Mr. Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO). The appointment, which takes immediate effect, follows the receipt of all requisite regulatory approvals and brings to a close an 18-month period of interim leadership that began in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy.
This pivotal decision concludes the stewardship of Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has served as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer since February 2024. Agbede stepped into the role following the tragic and untimely demise of the company’s revered former Group CEO, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, CFR, in a helicopter crash. The Board of Directors has expressed its profound gratitude for Agbede’s exceptional leadership, strategic guidance, and her role in ensuring remarkable stability and continuity during one of the most challenging periods in the Holding company’s history. With the appointment of a substantive CEO, Ms. Agbede will now seamlessly return to her substantive role as the Group’s Executive Director, Business Support.
The newly appointed leader, Mr. Innocent Ike, is a distinguished banker and financial expert with a sterling reputation built over a prolific three-decade career in the Nigerian and African financial services industry. He is widely recognized for his deep and extensive expertise across corporate banking, commercial banking, and public sector banking, making him a well-rounded leader poised to guide the complex, multi-faceted operations of Access Holdings.
Mr. Ike’s academic and professional credentials are exemplary. A First-Class graduate of Accounting from the prestigious University of Lagos, he is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN)—two of the highest professional distinctions in the Nigerian finance sector. Furthermore, his certification as an International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) expert underscores his commitment to global best practices in financial governance and transparency.
His most recent executive role was as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank Limited, a position he held from 2020 to 2022. His tenure there is particularly noted for a profound digital transformation drive. He spearheaded the launch and successful deployment of **VULTe**, the bank’s flagship digital banking platform. Under his leadership, VULTe received widespread critical acclaim, earning the coveted awards of **“Digital Bank of the Year”** at both the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards and the Nigerian Fintech Awards in 2021 and 2022, cementing his legacy as an innovator who drives growth through technology.
In a statement released by the Board of Directors, the Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, expressed confidence in the new appointment. “After a thorough, extensive, and deliberate global search process, the Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Innocent Ike as our new Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. He is a proven leader with an outstanding track record of delivering strong financial performance, driving innovation, and building transformative institutions. His deep industry knowledge, visionary leadership, and unwavering integrity align perfectly with the core values and strategic ambitions of Access Holdings. We are confident that he is the right person to lead our beloved institution into its next chapter of growth and sustained value creation for all our stakeholders.”
The appointment is seen by market analysts as a strategic move to consolidate on the formidable foundation laid by the late Herbert Wigwe. It provides the markets and stakeholders with the certainty of permanent, experienced leadership, allowing the group to fully focus on its ambitious ‘2027 Strategic Pathways’ which aim to expand its footprint across Africa and solidify its position as a preeminent financial and lifestyle holding company.
All eyes will now be on Mr. Ike as he takes the helm, tasked with honouring the legacy of the past while steering the vast Access Holdings ecosystem encompassing banking, pension management, insurance, and payment services toward a bold and prosperous future.
