Access Bank Names Ifeyinwa Osime as Board Chairman

Access Bank Plc has appointed Mrs. Ifeyinwa Osime as the new Chairman of its Board of Directors following the retirement of its former chairman, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN).

Mr. Usoro stepped down on January 29, 2026, after completing his regulatory tenure, the bank said in a corporate filing dated February 2, 2026.

The Group Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, described Mrs. Osime as a principled and experienced leader with strong knowledge of the bank’s strategy. He expressed confidence that her leadership would support the institution’s goal of becoming one of Africa’s most respected global banks.

Mrs. Osime joined the Access Bank board in November 2019 as an Independent Non-Executive Director. She brings decades of experience in law and corporate governance and previously chaired key board committees, including the Human Resources and Sustainability Committee as well as the Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

She has also held board positions at Coronation Insurance Plc and Keystone Bank.

The leadership transition forms part of wider governance reforms within Access Holdings, which recently included the appointment of a new Group Chief Executive Officer in 2025 and the return of Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede as Group Chairman in 2024.

The bank said the changes are aimed at strengthening its governance structure as it continues its strategic expansion across Africa and international markets.