Mr Sunday Ekwochi, Company Secretary, Access Holdings, said this in a disclosure sent to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) on Wednesday in Lagos.

Ekwochi said that Aig-Imoukhuede would replace Mr Abubakar Jimoh, the erstwhile Chairman of the Holdings, who remains on the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director.

He stated that return of Aig-Imoukhuede was in response to the untimely passing of the immediate past Group CEO of Access Holdings, Dr Herbert Wigwe.

According to him, following extensive consultations with key stakeholders, the Holdings Board unanimously decided to invite Aig-Imoukhuede to the helm of governance of the group.

Ekwochi said: “This visionary and accomplished leader is bringing an outstanding record of accomplishments, wealth of expertise and leadership to guide the group into a new era of success.

“With an illustrious career spanning several decades in the banking and finance sector, Aig-Imoukhuede has proven to be an exceptional and influential leader.

“Having admirably laid a solid foundation for Access Bank’s success as Group CEO between 2002 and 2013, ably supported by his partner and deputy, the late Dr Herbert Wigwe, who later succeeded him.

According to him, under Aig-Imoukhuede’s leadership, Access Bank experienced remarkable growth and established itself as a trusted financial institution within the community.

The company secretary noted that the bank transformed from a minor player into one of Nigeria’s top five banks with presence in nine other African countries and the United Kingdom.

Ekwochi revealed that under Aig-Imoukhuede’s stewardship, Access Bank grew its customer base from 10 thousand to over six million with more than 5,000 employees and an asset base of 12 billion US dollars.

He said Access Bank, under the pioneer Group CEO, achieved numerous milestones and became a globally recognised name, adding that Aig-Imoukhuede’s strategic vision, innovative thinking, and deep market insight were instrumental to shaping the bank’s success.

“Following Aig-Imoukhuede’s retirement as the bank’s CEO in December 2013, he co-founded the Tengen Family Office Ltd. The office oversees a significant portfolio of investments and businesses in banking, finance, insurance, technology, real estate, and energy.

“Through the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, he is focused on building Nigeria’s next generation of government leaders, helping transform public sector effectiveness, and improving access to quality primary health care.

“The decision to bring back Aig-Imoukhuede as the Group’s Non-Executive Chairman reflects the Board’s commitment to our core values and determination to build upon the strong foundation, he jointly established with Wigwe.

“With his return, Access Holdings aims to leverage his extensive experience, industry knowledge, and exceptional leadership skills to consolidate on the growth and accomplishments recorded under Wigwe’s leadership.

“In his new role as Non-Executive Chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede will collaborate with the Board of Directors to oversee strategy and provide guidance to the executive management team.

“His return is not only a testament to his unwavering dedication to Access Group but also a clear demonstration of the Board’s confidence in his ability to lead the Group to new heights,” the company secretary said.

According to him, the entire Access Group family, including employees, customers, and stakeholders, eagerly anticipates Aig-Imoukhuede’s return and looks forward to a promising future under his leadership.

Ekwochi said that with Aig-Imoukhuede’s expertise, passion, and commitment, the Access Group is poised to embark on a new chapter of impact and sustainable success.

In his reaction, Mr Abubakar Jimoh, past Chairman, Access Holdings expressed his excitement on the development.

Jimoh stated that Aig-Imoukhuede’s appointment to the Board and subsequent election as chairman is a landmark development for Access Holdings, as the board members are excited about their future with the firm.

Commenting, Aig-Imoukhuede said he was thrilled to be back in active service to the Access Group ecosystem.

He expressed that the determined shared vision which Wigwe gave everything for, will be realised.

“I am confident that working with our directors, our exceptional team of executives and our best-in-class banking and finance professionals, we will deliver outstanding value to our esteemed stakeholders,” he said.

Access Holdings Plc operates through a network of more than 600 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents, 18 countries and over 60 million customers.

The company serves its various markets through four business segments namely: Retail Business, Commercial and Corporate, and has enjoyed what is Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last twenty years. (NAN)

This is part of a strategic move by the OHCSF to prepare the public sector workforce for the digital era of the Civil Service.

Through this partnership, Microsoft is helping lay a foundation for digital transformation in Nigeria, providing government employees with in-demand digital skills for the 21st-century workplace and empowering them to contribute towards the digitisation of important public services.

In 2023, the OHCSF, supported by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, implemented an Enterprise Content Management Solution (ECMS) to automate all its work processes in line with the federal government’s e-governance drive.

Recognising that the digital readiness of civil servants is a key driver of the success and sustainability of the ECMS, the Foundation partnered with Microsoft to develop a digital upskilling programme for civil servants.

This programme will equip participating civil servants with essential digital skills, fostering a workforce that is not only digitally competent but also capable of driving continued innovation within the Civil Service. The official commencement of the digital upskilling programme was marked by a Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony at the Federal Secretariat, OHCSF, in Abuja.

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s support for the digitalisation of the Nigerian Civil Service is just one facet of its collaboration with the OHCSF.

Other projects supported by the Foundation include the development of an e-learning platform for the Civil Service, the introduction of a robust performance management system, and a culture change initiative aimed at nurturing the right values in civil servants.

Additionally, as part of its ongoing commitment to building the capacity of the government workforce, the Foundation recently brokered a public-private sector partnership that provided 8-week internships to civil servants across various private sector organisations as part of the 2023 Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (LEAD-P), a ten-month training programme designed to build the capacity of Nigeria’s future public sector leaders.

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is committed to driving and supporting impactful initiatives that contribute to the growth and efficiency of the Nigerian public sector for the benefit of all Nigerians.