Table of Contents
Access Holdings Plc, led by Nigerian banker Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has allocated vested shares to 689 employees under its Restricted Share Performance Plan, according to a filing with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Monday.
Long-term incentive for staff
According to the group’s unaudited third-quarter report, the plan is a key part of its long-term incentive structure, meant to reward and retain top-performing employees. The company said the shares were vested on July 1, 2025, as disclosed by Company Secretary Sunday Ekwochi.
Beneficiaries include Bolaji Agbede, former acting CEO of the holding company, who received 2.18 million shares; Ekwochi himself, who was allotted 655,022 shares; Chizoma Okoli, Deputy Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, with 5.50 million shares; Hadiza Ambursa, Group Chief Financial Officer of Access Bank Plc, with 3.93 million shares; and Seyi Kumapayi, who received the same number.
Group performance and employee pay structure
Access Holdings, based in Lagos, serves more than 60 million customers across 20 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. Since Aig-Imoukhuede’s return to the group in 2024, management has prioritized capital strength, digital expansion and stable income growth.
For the first half of 2025, the group posted mixed results, Gross earnings climbed 13.8 percent to N2.49 trillion ($1.7 billion), from N2.19 trillion ($1.5 billion) a year earlier, while profit after tax fell 23.3 percent to N215.9 billion ($147.5 million) due to higher costs and reduced foreign-exchange gains.
Access Holdings disclosed that 2,928 employees earned between N17.95 million ($12,473) and N21.94 million ($15,240) annually, the largest income bracket within the group. Another 2,118 staff members earned between N11.36 million ($7,893) and N14.95 million ($10,390), while 1,994 employees made between N7.49 million ($5,205) and N8.76 million ($6,000). Only 30 employees earned below N2 million ($1,390) a year.
Expansion and global partnerships
In September, Access Holdings received a $10 million facility from the International Finance Corporation to boost small-business lending in Sierra Leone, focusing on women-led firms and underserved borrowers. Earlier in June, it completed the acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank Gambia, marking the end of the British lender’s 130-year presence in the country.
