Barrister Ifeyinwa Osime (Nee Ebie)
GCON Media, an Agbor, Delta State-based socio-political pressure group has hailed the appointment of Barrister Ifeyinwa Osime (Nee Ebie) as the new Chairman, Access Bank Nigeria PLC, saying that the latest appointment has confirmed the Ebie family of Agbor, Delta state as a Citadel of leadership recruitment, excellence and strong moral value.
The group in a congratulatory message dated Tuesday February 3, 2026, and made available to newsmen in Agbor, noted that Barrister Osime is the eldest and only sister of Mr. Chiedu Ebie, Chairman, Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Chiedu himself was also a one time Delta State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education and Secretary to the State Government respectively.
Further alluding to the family strong leadership character, GCON Media pointed out that the late Prof. John C. Ebie, their father, was the pioneer Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Edo State.
As the pioneer Chief Medical Director of the health institution established in May 1973, he steered the institution into becoming an enviable world-class health provider and creatively brought together within the same organisation different people with different experiences, assumptions, values, beliefs, and habits for their work and provided direction, protection, orientation, managed conflicts, shaped norms, possessed the emotional capacity to tolerate uncertainty, frustrations, and pains, and raised tough questions without getting anxious himself.
In recognition of this sterling and selfless public leadership provision, the late Prof. Ebie was on Friday, December 15, 2023, bestowed with a posthumous award of excellence by the Association of Resident Doctors, UBTH Chapter, Benin City.
The group hailed the new Access Bank Chairman as “an accomplished legal practitioner with a strong background in corporate governance and strategic leadership who has greatly contributed to the stability of the Nigerian banking sector”
Barrister Osime was appointed to Access Bank’s Board in November 2019 as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Prior to her recent appointment, Barrister Osime served as Chairman of the Board Human Resources and Sustainability Committee, as well as the Board Governance Nomination and Remuneration Committee, making significant contributions to governance, leadership development, and sustainability. She also served on several other board committees. In addition, she 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 leadership and strategic direction. Her previous board experience includes serving as an Independent Non-Executive Director of Coronation Insurance Plc, Board Chairman of Coronation Life Insurance Company Ltd and Non-Executive Director, Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank Limited).
She began her career at Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation and later joined African Development Insurance Company Limited (ADIC, now NSIA Insurance) as Company Secretary/Assistant General Manager, Administration & Legal.
A law graduate of the University of Benin, Barrister Osime was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. She holds a Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law from the London School of Economics and has attended executive education programmes at INSEAD, IMD, Harvard Business School, MIT, and Stanford, among others, reflecting her commitment to continuous professional development and global best practices.
The new Access Bank boss is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Women Corporate Directors Nigeria Chapter, and Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria, where she serves on the Executive Committee of the Women Sectoral Group.
Beyond her professional responsibilities, she 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.