Bolaji Agbede replaces Wigwe as Access Holdings acting CEO

Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Ms. Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer.

This follows the death of its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Herbert Wigwe.

In a notification to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Monday night, the company said the appointment of Ms. Agbede was subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The company explained that until her appointment, Ms. Agbede was the company’s most senior founding Executive Director in charge of Business Support.

Agbede, who joined Access Bank in 2003 as an Assistant General, has nearly three decades of professional experience cutting across banking and business consultancy services.

“Further to its announcement dated February 11, 2024, the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) has today announced the appointment of Ms Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of the Company following the unfortunate demise of its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr Herbert Wigwe, on February 9, 2024.

“The appointment is subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” the statement reads in part.

With an impressive professional background that spans nearly three decades, Ms. Agbede’s career trajectory in banking and business consultancy services has equipped her with a rich blend of expertise and strategic acumen.

Her journey began in 1992 at Guaranty Trust Bank where she steadily climbed the ranks to managerial positions by 2001 and eventually took on the role of Chief Executive Officer at JKG Limited, a business consulting firm, in 2003.

Her association with Access Bank Plc commenced in 2003 as an Assistant General Manager responsible for managing the bank’s portfolio of chemical trading companies. Her leadership qualities and strategic insight led her to assume the position of the Bank’s Head, Group Human Resources between 2010 and 2022.

She was elevated to the role of Access Holdings Plc’s founding Executive Director, Business Support, where she played a pivotal role in the successful integration of business units and the transformation of the company’s culture.

She served in different roles at the bank including, Head, Group Human Resources between 2010 and 2022 before she was appointed the company’s founding Executive Director, Business Support in 2022, a role she held until her new appointment.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos and a Masters of Business Administration Degree from Cranfield University UK in 2002.

She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management UK and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.