Access Bank along City Hallway, Nairobi on July 12, 2023. Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media GroupAccess Bank Kenya (ABK) has tapped Ralph Chinedu Opara from its Lagos headquartered parent to lead the subsidiary ahead of the merger with the recently acquired National Bank of Kenya (NBK).

Mr Opara was serving as the Group Head of the parent’s commercial banking division, overseeing its growth to become the largest unit for the lender. He joins at a time when the Group is in the process of merging ABK with NBK.

Mr Opara is still tasked with integrating ABK regional subsidiaries to ensure the delivery of a stronger, regionally connected Group operation.

He replaces Lilian Odhiambo who has been leading Access Bank Kenya in an acting capacity since 2024.

Ms Odhiambo will remain in the local unit serving as the Executive Director, Wholesale Banking.

“Mr Opara is an Access Bank Group seasoned banker who has demonstrated agility and efficiency throughout his career,” ABK chairperson Barbara Barungi said.

“I have every confidence that his operational experience and leadership capability, combined with the local management’s deep knowledge, will drive the business to greater heights in Kenya and beyond.”

Access Bank wholly acquired NBK in a deal concluded on May 30, at a price equivalent to 1.25 times the book value of the subsidiary.

This marked the second acquisition for Access which entered the Kenyan market in 2020 by buying out Transnational Bank.

The Nigerian bank said NBK’s acquisition was a pivotal move to its expansion strategy in East Africa.

“Finalising this acquisition marks a significant step in our drive towards unlocking the vast potential of East Africa’s financial landscape.

Kenya stands at the heart of regional commerce, and with NBK now part of the Access Bank family, we are better positioned to leverage our combined strengths to deliver high-impact banking solutions,” Access Bank Plc Managing Director Roosevelt Ogbonna said previously.