Who is Ifeyinwa Osime? Inside the career of Access Holdings’ new board Chairman

Ifeyinwa Osime is a distinguished Nigerian legal practitioner and corporate governance expert with extensive experience in board leadership, strategic oversight and institutional development across the banking and insurance sectors.

She was appointed Chairman of the Board of Access Holdings Plc following the retirement of Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, who concluded his regulatory tenure on January 29, 2026.

Background

Osime is a law graduate of the University of Benin and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.

She holds a Master of Laws degree in Commercial and Corporate Law from the London School of Economics, University of London.

She has also attended executive education programmes at INSEAD, IMD, Harvard Business School, MIT and Stanford.

Early career

She began her professional career at the Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation during her National Youth Service year and later joined African Development Insurance Company Limited, now NSIA Insurance, where she served as Company Secretary and Assistant General Manager in charge of Administration and Legal.

Role at Access Bank Plc

At Access Bank, Osime has played a key role in strengthening governance and leadership structures.

She previously served as Chairman of the Board Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Board Governance, Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

She has also been a member of several other board committees, including the Audit Committee, Credit Committee and the Board Digital and Information Technology Committee, where she serves as Vice Chairman.

Other board and professional engagements

Beyond Access Bank, Osime is a Director at Ebudo Trust Limited and a Partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial legal matters and contributes to the firm’s strategic direction.

She is also a Partner at Smartbase Services. Her previous board experience includes serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Coronation Insurance Plc, Chairman of Coronation Life Insurance Company Limited and a Non-Executive Director at Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank Limited.

Professional bodies

She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Women Corporate Directors Nigeria Chapter and the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.

Appointment as Access Holdings Chairman

She was appointed Chairman of the Board of Access Holdings Plc following the retirement of Mr. Paul Usoro, SAN, who completed his regulatory tenure on January 29, 2026.

The appointment was confirmed in a statement signed by the company secretary, Sunday Ekwochi.

Osime has been a member of the Access Bank Plc Board since November 2019, where she served as an Independent Non-Executive Director before her elevation.

Philanthropy

Outside her professional responsibilities, Osime is committed to mentoring young people and is actively involved in the Autism and Developmental Delays Support Community, reflecting her dedication to inclusion and social impact.