Innocent Ike : Group CEO of Access Holdings
Access Holdings Plc has confirmed the appointment of Mr. Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following the green light from regulators.
The announcement was contained in a statement released on Wednesday by the company’s secretary, Sunday Ekwochi. The development comes just hours after Roosevelt Ogbonna stepped down from the board in line with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s new corporate governance guidelines.
Ike succeeds Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has served in an acting capacity for 18 months after the sudden death of former Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe, in 2024. Agbede will now return to her substantive role as Executive Director, Business Support.
Speaking on the appointment, Access Holdings Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described it as the beginning of a new chapter for the group. He praised Agbede’s leadership, noting her achievements, which included sustaining workforce stability, overseeing a ₦351 billion rights issue, and successfully hosting two annual general meetings.
“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 for her invaluable leadership during a challenging period,” Aig-Imoukhuede said.
In his first statement as Group CEO, Ike expressed excitement about the task ahead.
“I am honoured to take on this role and work with the talented team at Access Holdings. I look forward to building on the legacy of Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede while driving our vision to deliver exceptional value to shareholders and stakeholders,” Ike said.
Who is Innocent Ike?
Mr. Ike graduated as the Best Student in Accounting from the University of Lagos in 1988. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and also a certified IFRS expert.
With more than three decades in banking and financial services, Ike previously spent 10 years at Access Bank where he rose to the position of General Manager. He later served as Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank (2020–2022), where he introduced VULTe, the bank’s award-winning digital platform.
His appointment marks a strategic step for Access Holdings as it positions itself for growth under evolving regulatory and market conditions.
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