July 10, (THEWILL) — Access Holdings Plc has vested more than 200 million ordinary shares in 77 employees across its group under its long-term incentive programme, with former Executive Director, Business Support, Bolaji Agbede, emerging as the largest beneficiary after receiving 15.09 million shares.
The company disclosed the development in a corporate filing dated July 8, 2026, submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) and signed by the Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi.
According to the filing, the share vesting exercise took place between June 29 and June 30, 2026, in line with the terms of employment of eligible employees across Access Holdings Plc and Access Bank Plc.
The programme is designed to reward performance, retain key talent, and align employees’ interests with those of shareholders through equity ownership.
“We write to inform Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public that pursuant to the terms of employment of Access Holdings Plc (the Company or the Group) and Access Bank Plc, the shares of the Company have vested in the underlisted employees of the Group,” the company stated.
Agbede received the highest allocation of 15,092,922 shares under the scheme.
Executive Director Hadiza Ambursa and Access Bank Chief Financial Officer Seyi Kumapayi each received 10,906,875 shares, while Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, Iyabo Soji-Okusanya, was allotted 10,119,941 shares.
Executive Director Lanre Bamisebi received 9,334,823 shares, while Executive Director Elizabeth Oguegbu and Access Bank Chief Risk Officer Femi Jaiyeola each received 4,651,163 shares.
The vesting programme also covered several senior executives and management personnel across the Group, including Olumide Olatunji, Abraham Aziegbe, Sunday Ekwochi, Amaechi Okobi and other senior managers.
The broad-based allocation reflects Access Holdings’ strategy of strengthening employee ownership while aligning management incentives with the company’s long-term growth and shareholder value objectives.
Equity-based compensation has become increasingly common across the financial services industry as banks seek to retain experienced professionals amid rapid digital transformation, expanding regional operations and increased competition for talent.
The latest vesting exercise comes weeks after Access Holdings reaffirmed its commitment to resuming dividend payments once regulatory conditions permit.
Speaking at the Group’s fourth Annual General Meeting in June, Chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said the company had entered a phase focused on extracting value from years of strategic investments rather than pursuing growth for expansion alone.
According to him, Access Holdings reported a profit of N1.007 trillion and total assets of N51.56 trillion for the 2025 financial year, underscoring its focus on long-term resilience and sustainable value creation.
Ogochukwu Onwaeze is a writer specializing in business and economic journalism. At THEWILL News Media, she translates market trends, financial developments, and policy shifts into clear and engaging stories.
