Access Holdings Plc has appointed Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with effect from 29 August 2025, bringing to a close an 18-month period of interim leadership following the death of former Group CEO Herbert Wigwe in early 2024.
The appointment followed receipt of the necessary regulatory approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Ike's appointment to the permanent role ends the acting tenure of Bolaji Agbede, who had led the group as Acting GMD and CEO since Wigwe's passing.
IKE'S CAREER
Ike has more than 30 years of banking experience, spanning Access Bank and other Nigerian institutions. He spent a decade at Access Bank.
Ike also served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank.
Access Holdings' businesses include commercial banking, insurance, payment services and consumer lending operations across multiple African markets.
HERBERT WIGWE
Herbert Wigwe, who with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede took over Access Bank in 2002, helped build it into a pan-African financial institution. He died in a helicopter crash in February 2024, alongside his wife and son.