Business

Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Innocent Ike as its substantive Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, effective August 29, 2025, following regulatory approval.

The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi. It comes shortly after Roosevelt Ogbonna resigned from the board in line with new corporate governance guidelines introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ike succeeds Ms. Bolaji Agbede, who has led the company in an acting capacity for the past 18 months, following the death of former Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe, in 2024.

Reacting to his appointment, Ike expressed gratitude and pledged to build on the foundation laid by his predecessors.

“I am honoured to take on the role of Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and excited to work alongside the talented team at Access Holdings.

I look forward to building on the strong legacy established by Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede, and driving our vision forward, ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional value to our shareholders and stakeholders,” he said.

A distinguished banker, Ike graduated as the Best Student in Accounting from the University of Lagos in 1988. He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has withdrawn its legal action against the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and five other petroleum companies.

The suit, which was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, was formally discontinued by the company’s legal team through a notice of discontinuance submitted to the court.

Other defendants in the case included AYM Shafa Limited, A.A. Rano Limited, T. Time Petroleum Limited, 2015 Petroleum Limited, and Matrix Petroleum Services Limited.

No official reason was provided for the withdrawal, and details surrounding the lawsuit, including the reliefs sought and whether an out-of-court settlement was reached, remain undisclosed.

President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has called on federal and state governments to prioritise support for local investors as a key strategy for driving economic development and attracting foreign investment.

Dangote made the call during the Taraba International Investment Summit held in Jalingo, which drew participants from across Nigeria and beyond.

The business magnate, who is Africa’s richest man, emphasised that thriving domestic investment is a prerequisite for foreign investor confidence.

“I want to give a word of advice, Your Excellency, the only way for you to attract foreign investments or investors is by having local investors. Domestic investors are the ones who actually attract foreign investors,” he said.

Dangote explained that foreign investors are drawn to environments where local businesses are already succeeding, noting that investment prospects and economic activity naturally attract external interest.

“If you don’t invite local investors to come and invest, no foreigner will come and invest. Foreigners are attracted only when they see prospects for investment. Once they see that, yes, things are flowing, you don’t have to invite them, they will come,” he added.