Access Bank Plc is repositioning its leadership structure to drive stronger profitability, improve the performance of its African subsidiaries and deepen the integration of technology into its banking operations, following the appointment of two senior executives to strategic positions.
The appointments of Oluseyi Kumapayi as Deputy Managing Director, African Subsidiaries, and Olanrewaju Bamisebi as Executive Director, Information Technology and Digitalisation, signal a shift in the bank’s priorities as it seeks to convert its expanding market presence into stronger financial returns and operational efficiency.
Approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the appointments take effect from October 27 and October 28, 2026, respectively, according to a statement by Access Holdings Plc, the parent company of Access Bank.
Beyond filling executive positions, the changes reflect two important areas of focus for the banking group: extracting greater financial value from its investments across African markets and strengthening the role of technology in improving business performance.
Kumapayi’s elevation: Driving better returns from African subsidiaries
Kumapayi’s appointment as Deputy Managing Director underscores the importance Access Bank attaches to the financial and operational performance of its African subsidiaries.
Having established a substantial presence across the continent and selected international markets, the bank is increasingly focused on improving the contribution of its existing businesses rather than pursuing expansion for scale alone.
His elevation from Executive Director, African Subsidiaries, therefore places greater leadership responsibility on an executive already familiar with the opportunities and challenges across the bank’s African operations.
Kumapayi joined Access Bank in 2002 and brings more than 25 years of banking experience covering financial management, strategy, risk, treasury and business development.
Between 2007 and 2020, he served as Group Chief Financial Officer, where he played a significant role in strengthening the bank’s financial management and supporting its strategic development.
He became Executive Director, African Subsidiaries, in November 2020, overseeing the bank’s operations across its African markets.
In his new position, he will retain responsibility for the subsidiaries, but with an expanded mandate to improve profitability, capital productivity, operational performance and cross-border business integration. He will also support the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer in the broader management of the bank.
His financial management background and experience in the group’s African operations could prove important as Access Bank seeks to improve returns on capital and strengthen earnings contributions from its subsidiaries.
Kumapayi is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He holds an Executive MBA from IMD, Lausanne, and an Executive Master’s degree in Digital Transformation and Innovation Leadership from IE University, Madrid. He also holds degrees from the Universities of Lagos and Ibadan and attended Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
Why Bamisebi’s appointment matters for Access Bank’s digital ambitions
While Kumapayi’s elevation is tied to improving the financial performance of the bank’s African franchise, Bamisebi’s appointment reflects the group’s intention to place technology closer to the centre of its commercial and operational decision-making.
The decision to move executive responsibility for Information Technology and Digitalisation from Access Holdings to Access Bank is particularly significant.
It suggests that the group wants technology investments to deliver more direct and measurable benefits to its banking operations, including improved customer experience, lower operating costs, stronger service reliability and increased productivity.
As competition intensifies in Nigeria’s financial services industry, digital infrastructure has become an important differentiator in customer acquisition, transaction processing, service delivery and operational efficiency.
Bamisebi’s appointment to the bank’s board is expected to strengthen the connection between its technology strategy and these business priorities.
He brings more than 20 years of experience in technology transformation, digital banking, enterprise systems and operational management across financial services and other industries.
Before his new appointment, he served as Executive Director, Information Technology and Digitalisation, at Access Holdings, where he was responsible for the group’s technology strategy and shared technology services. His responsibilities covered digital banking infrastructure, enterprise platforms, data management and technology resilience.
His previous experience includes senior leadership positions at Equity Group Holdings Limited, where he served as Group Director, Information Technology and Operations, as well as Managing Director of Finserve Africa.
He also served as Group Chief Information Officer at Diamond Bank and held other technology leadership positions in major Nigerian institutions.
At Access Bank, he will lead the technology and digitalisation agenda, focusing on modernising and simplifying technology platforms, improving operating efficiency, strengthening cybersecurity and operational resilience, and accelerating digital solutions that improve customer experience and business performance.
Bamisebi holds a B.Sc. in Computing and Information Technology from the University of Derby, an MBA from Durham Business School and qualifications in Computer Science and Accounting. He is also an alumnus of the Cambridge Judge Business Senior Management Programme.
Access Holdings’ transition from scale to value
The two appointments are consistent with Access Holdings’ broader strategy of moving from expansion-driven growth towards improved profitability, capital efficiency and sustainable shareholder returns.
According to the group, its priority is now to maximise the value of its existing banking franchise through stronger subsidiary performance, disciplined capital allocation, technology-enabled productivity and improved customer experience.
Group Chairman, Access Holdings Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said the appointments were designed to support this next phase of the group’s development.
“Access Holdings has built a substantial banking franchise across Africa and beyond. Our strategic priority is now to translate that scale into superior performance, greater efficiency, stronger returns on capital and sustainable value for shareholders,” he said.
He explained that Kumapayi’s elevation reinforces the group’s determination to improve the performance of its African subsidiaries, while Bamisebi’s appointment brings technology leadership closer to the bank’s operations, customers and commercial priorities.
Access Bank’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Roosevelt Ogbonna, also highlighted the importance of improving productivity, operational efficiency and the utilisation of capital and technology.
He said the bank would focus on strengthening returns across its African subsidiaries while simplifying technology platforms, improving reliability and accelerating innovation to deliver better customer outcomes at a lower cost.
The appointments, therefore, point to a more targeted leadership approach at Access Bank. Kumapayi is expected to strengthen the earnings and operational contributions of the group’s African businesses, while Bamisebi will drive technology transformation with a clearer connection to commercial performance.
Ultimately, the success of the new leadership arrangement will be measured not simply by the executives’ experience or the scope of their responsibilities, but by how effectively they translate the bank’s strategic ambitions into improved financial performance, operational efficiency and customer value.
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