Ifeyinwa Osime, a legal practitioner and corporate governance expert, has been appointed by Access Bank Plc as Chairman of its Board.
The appointment was made following the retirement of Paul Usoro on January 29, 2026, after completing his regulatory tenure.
The disclosure was made to the Nigerian Exchange Limited via a notice signed by Sunday Ekwochi, the company secretary.
The statement reads this:
“Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors of Access Bank Plc (‘the Bank’), its flagship subsidiary, has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as Chairman of the Board, following the retirement of Paul Usoro on January 29, 2026, upon the completion of his regulatory tenure limit.”
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Group Chairman of Access Holdings, while speaking on the appointment, described Osime as “a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the bank’s strategy and values.”
He expressed confidence that under her leadership, the bank would continue to deliver sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders.
12 things you probably did not know about Ifeyinwa Osime, the new board chair of Access Bank
She attended the University of Benin, where she graduated with a law degree
She was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987
She attended the London School of Economics, where she graduated with a Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law
She also attended executive education programs at INSEAD, IMD, Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, underscoring her commitment to global best practices in corporate governance
She worked at Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation and African Development Insurance Company Limited (now NSIA Insurance) as Company Secretary and Assistant General Manager, Administration & Legal
She’s a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Women Corporate Directors Nigeria Chapter, and Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria
She served as an independent non-executive director on the bank’s board since November 2019
She chaired key committees, including the Board Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Governance, Nomination, and Remuneration Committee
She currently sits on the boards of Coronation Insurance Plc and Coronation Life Insurance Company Limited and previously served as a director at Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank Limited
She is also a director at Ebudo Trust Limited. She is also a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises corporate clients on commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, and governance frameworks
She has been appointed as the new Chairman of Access Bank Plc, effective January 29, 2026.
