Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mrs Ifeyinwa Osime as Chairman of the Board of Access Bank Plc, its flagship subsidiary, following the retirement of Mr Paul Usoro, SAN, news.ng reports.
In a statement signed by the Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, Mrs Osime’s appointment takes effect after Mr Usoro completed his regulatory tenure limit on January 29, 2026.
The Group described Mrs Osime as “an accomplished legal practitioner with a strong background in corporate governance and strategic leadership,” noting that she brings significant boardroom experience and deep institutional knowledge to the role.
Mrs Osime was appointed to Access Bank’s Board in November 2019 as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Before her elevation as Chairman, she served as Chairman of the Board’s Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and of the Board Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
According to the statement, in those capacities, she made “significant contributions to governance, leadership development, and sustainability,” while also serving on several other board committees.
Beyond Access Bank, Mrs Osime is a Director at Ebudo Trust Limited and a Partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial legal matters and contributes to strategic direction.
Her prior board experience includes serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Coronation Insurance Plc, Board Chairman of Coronation Life Insurance Company Ltd, and Non-Executive Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank Limited).
She began her career at Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation before joining African Development Insurance Company Limited (ADIC, now NSIA Insurance) as Company Secretary/Assistant General Manager, Administration & Legal.
A law graduate of the University of Benin, she was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987 and holds a Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law from the London School of Economics. She has also attended executive education programmes at INSEAD, IMD, Harvard Business School, MIT, and Stanford, reflecting the Company’s description of her “commitment to continuous professional development and global best practices.”
Mrs Osime is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Women Corporate Directors Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.
Commenting on the appointment, the Group Chairman, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, CFR, said: “Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the Bank’s strategy and values. She has demonstrated strong commitment to the Bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the Bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the World’s Most Respected African Bank.”
In line with its disclosure obligations, Access Holdings Plc reiterated its commitment to transparency in investor communications.
