FUTA CENT Board Chairman, Innocent Ike Appointed GMD/CEO of Access Holdings Plc
The Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CENT), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Mr. Innocent Ike, has been appointed the substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, effective August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval.
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The Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (CENT), Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Mr. Innocent Ike, has been appointed the substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, effective August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval.
Ike succeeds Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has led the company in an acting capacity for the past 18 months after the death of former Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe, in 2024. Agbede will now return to her role as Executive Director, Business Support.
Access Holdings Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described Ike’s appointment as the start of a new chapter for the group. “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,” he stated.
Reacting to the announcement, Ike said he was honoured to take on the role and committed to building on the legacy of his predecessors. “I look forward to working alongside the talented team at Access Holdings, delivering exceptional value to our shareholders and stakeholders, and advancing the vision of the group,” he said.
A distinguished professional, Ike graduated as Best Student in Accounting from the University of Lagos in 1988. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, as well as a certified IFRS expert. With over three decades of banking and financial services experience, he previously spent 10 years at Access Bank, rising to General Manager, before serving as Managing Director/CEO of Polaris Bank from 2020 to 2022, where he launched VULTe, the bank’s award-winning digital platform.
FUTA Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, hailed the appointment as well deserved, noting that under Ike’s leadership as Board Chairman, FUTA CENT became a hub of excellence in nurturing innovative mindsets and strengthening town-gown engagement through entrepreneurship.
