Entry Holdings Plc has appointed Mr. Harmless Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Government Officer (GMD/CEO), efficient August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval.
The transfer comes simply hours after Roosevelt Ogbonna stepped down from the corporate’s board consistent with new company governance guidelines.
Ike’s appointment alerts a brand new section underneath the chairmanship of Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who returned to steer the group after the passing of former Group CEO Herbert Wigwe in 2024.
Management adjustments have been gathering tempo in latest months.
- Earlier this 12 months, Seyi Kumapayi, one of many group’s longest-serving administrators, left the board.
- Extra not too long ago, Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director of Access Bank, additionally resigned from the HoldCo board to adjust to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s 2023 company governance tips, which restrict HoldCo boards to 9 members.
With these exits and Ike now confirmed as substantive CEO, Entry Holdings’ management construction is taking form, reflecting efforts to strengthen governance, align with regulation, and chart a transparent course for the post-Wigwe period.
Transition from Agbede to Ike
Ike takes over from Bolaji Agbede, who has served as Appearing GMD/CEO for the previous 18 months. She’s going to return to her function as Government Director, Enterprise Assist, consistent with regulatory necessities on years of expertise for the highest place.
Agbede has been extensively counseled for guiding the corporate by way of one among its most difficult intervals.
- Throughout her tenure, Entry maintained workforce stability, accomplished a N351 billion rights problem, and efficiently held two annual normal conferences milestones that helped regular the group following the sudden passing of Herbert Wigwe.
Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede praised her contributions, describing them as “invaluable in navigating the corporate by way of challenges and alternatives.”
Who’s Harmless Ike?
Ike brings over 30 years of expertise in banking and monetary providers. A University of Lagos graduate in accounting and a Fellow of each CIBN and ICAN, he’s additionally an authorized IFRS skilled.
He spent a decade at Access Bank, rising to Normal Supervisor with duty for company, business, and public sector portfolios.
He later served as MD/CEO of Polaris Bank (2020–2022), the place he launched VULTe, the bank’s award-winning digital banking platform.
- “I’m honoured to tackle this function and excited to work alongside the proficient workforce at Entry Holdings,” Ike mentioned.
- “I sit up for constructing on the robust legacy established by Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede, and driving our imaginative and prescient ahead to ship distinctive worth to shareholders and stakeholders.”
Roosevelt Ogbonna’s exit
The information of Ike’s appointment follows carefully the resignation of Roosevelt Ogbonna from the HoldCo board — a transfer that despatched ripples by way of the banking sector.
- A veteran of Access Bank and one of the crucial recognizable executives within the trade, Ogbonna’s departure raised hypothesis of inside friction.
- Nevertheless, sources near him instructed Nairametrics the choice was a collective board motion to adjust to CBN tips, not a results of rancor.
Access Bank, which he leads, accounts for greater than 90% of group revenues and 95% of whole property, making his absence from the HoldCo board notably notable.
What it is best to know
- Entry Holdings was established in 2022 by way of a Scheme of Association between Access Bank Plc and its shareholders.
- Since then, the group has expanded into 17 markets throughout Africa and past, making it one of many continent’s most diversified monetary providers corporations.
- The latest management adjustments—from Kumapayi’s departure to Ogbonna’s resignation and now Ike’s appointment—mark a defining second in its journey.
For stakeholders, the important thing query is how this recalibrated management underneath Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede will steadiness continuity with the calls for of regulation, growth, and market competitors.
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