Access Bank Elevates Senior Leadership to Drive Profitability and Digital Integration Across African Subsidiaries

Access Bank Plc has announced the appointments of Oluseyi Kumapayi as Deputy Managing Director for African Subsidiaries and Olanrewaju Bamisebi as Executive Director for Information Technology and Digitalisation. The parent company, Access Holdings Plc, noted that these appointments received the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria and took effect on October 27 and October 28, 2026, respectively. Kumapayi was elevated from his previous position as Executive Director for African Subsidiaries, while Bamisebi joins the board from Access Holdings, where he served as Executive Director for Information Technology and Digitalisation. These strategic shifts mark a distinct pivot for the institution from building regional scale toward consolidating its assets and maximizing returns.

The structural evolution reflects the Group's deliberate shift from expanding its physical footprint to extracting greater value from its existing businesses, with an increased emphasis on profitability, capital efficiency, operational performance, and sustainable shareholder returns. Group Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede noted that having built a substantial banking franchise across Africa and beyond, the priority is now translating that scale into superior performance, greater efficiency, stronger returns on capital, and sustainable value for shareholders. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Roosevelt Ogbonna added that the institution will prioritize productivity, efficiency, and profitability while making better use of capital, technology, and established market presence across all operational jurisdictions.

Oluseyi Kumapayi brings more than 25 years of banking experience spanning financial management, strategy, risk, treasury, and business development. He joined Access Bank in 2002 and served as Group Chief Financial Officer from 2007 to 2020 before becoming Executive Director for African Subsidiaries. In his elevated role, he will continue overseeing regional operations with an expanded mandate to improve subsidiary profitability, capital productivity, and operational efficiency while strengthening business integration across markets. He holds an Executive MBA from IMD Lausanne, an Executive Master's degree in Digital Transformation and Innovation Leadership from IE University, and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

Olanrewaju Bamisebi brings over 20 years of experience in technology transformation, digital banking, and enterprise systems, having previously held senior roles at Equity Group Holdings Limited and Diamond Bank. At Access Bank, he will lead the technology and digitalisation agenda, focusing on modernising technology platforms, strengthening cybersecurity, and operational resilience. His appointment transfers executive responsibility for technology transformation directly from the holding company to the Bank, bringing technology investment closer to commercial and operational priorities to enhance customer experience and business performance at a lower cost to serve.

Why This Matters

The elevation of senior leadership and the restructuring of technology oversight highlight a critical strategic pivot for pan-African financial institutions. As major lenders mature past aggressive cross-border acquisitions, the primary operational challenge shifts toward post-merger integration, regulatory compliance across disparate jurisdictions, and extracting profitable synergies from established networks. By consolidating executive management of regional subsidiaries under an experienced financial strategist, the institution aims to mitigate currency risks and capital allocation inefficiencies that often plague multi-country banking groups operating in diverse macroeconomic environments.

Furthermore, bringing executive technology leadership directly into the commercial banking subsidiary realigns digital transformation with everyday operational demands. Modernizing core banking platforms and strengthening cybersecurity are fundamental prerequisites for scaling digital financial services securely across emerging African markets. This organizational alignment ensures that technology investments directly support regional trade facilitation, data governance standards, and customer retention strategies without unnecessary administrative friction between holding companies and operating entities.

Opportunities

• Integrators: Technology and software providers can secure lucrative contracts to support core platform modernization, cybersecurity enhancements, and digital infrastructure consolidation across regional subsidiaries.
• Financiers: Institutional investors and development finance institutions have clear entry points to partner with a major regional banking group focused on capital efficiency and sustainable cross-border returns.
• Operators: Regional fintechs and payment service providers can collaborate with the bank to integrate innovative digital solutions that enhance customer experience and lower operational transaction costs.
• Contractors: Enterprise consulting firms can engage in advisory and implementation projects aimed at optimizing business integration and regulatory compliance across diverse African markets.

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