In an unexpected turn of events rocking Nigeria’s financial sector, Access Holdings Plc has formally appointed Innocent Ike as its new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, ending the 18-month interim leadership of Bolaji Agbede.
The change follows regulatory stipulations that require a substantive CEO for Financial Holding Companies.
While Agbede will return to her role as Executive Director for Business Support, she leaves behind a tenure marked by stability and strategic wins. Under her stewardship, Access Holdings executed a ₦351 billion rights issue, successfully organised two AGMs, and ensured workforce continuity after the passing of founder Herbert Wigwe.
The Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, lauded her Contributions, saying: “Her outstanding contributions… have been invaluable.”
Bringing over 30 years of banking experience to the role, Mr. Innocent Ike previously served as CEO of Polaris Bank (2020–2022) where he launched the award-winning digital banking platform, VULTe. A chartered accountant and fellow of both ICAN and CIBN, he was also honored as the best graduating accountant at the University of Lagos in 1988.
Innocent Ike commented on his appointment:
“I am honoured to take on the role… and look forward to building on the strong legacy established by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Herbert Wigwe, and Bolaji Agbede… ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional value to our shareholders and stakeholders.”
In a statement, the Chairman of Access Holdings, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR, commended Agbede’s stewardship while welcoming Ike to the helm.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Innocent Ike as we move forward,” he said. “At the same time, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Ms. Bolaji Agbede. Her outstanding contributions over the past 18 months have been invaluable, and we appreciate her dedication in navigating the company through challenges and opportunities. While regulatory requirements necessitate this change, we are grateful for the strong foundation that has been laid.”
Ike, an accomplished banker, brings over three decades of experience in the financial services sector. A graduate of the University of Lagos and the institution’s best graduating accounting student in 1988, he is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), as well as a Certified IFRS expert.
He previously spent a decade at Access Bank, where he rose to General Manager, managing portfolios across corporate, commercial, and public sectors. More recently, Ike served as Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank between 2020 and 2022, where he launched the award-winning digital banking platform VULTe. Under his leadership, Polaris earned industry recognition, including the BusinessDay BAFI Digital Bank of the Year Award and the Nigerian Fintech Digital Bank of the Year Award in 2021 and 2022.
This leadership transition signals a bold new chapter for Access Holdings—a group intent on consolidating its position as Africa’s most respected financial services conglomerate.
