NAIROBI, Kenya– Access Bank Kenya (ABK) has named Ralph Chinedu Opara as its new Country Managing Director, effective September 8, 2025, following approval from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
Opara takes over from Lillian Odhiambo, who has been holding the role in an acting capacity since 2024. She will continue at the lender as Executive Director of Wholesale Banking.
Opara joins the Kenyan subsidiary from Access Bank Group’s Commercial Banking Division, which he grew into the group’s largest commercial business with a balance sheet of more than US$1.2 billion and risk assets exceeding US$1.3 billion.
A career banker and director, he is also a Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, with advanced academic training from Harvard, Wharton, IMD, and Cranfield.
During his tenure at the group level, Opara spearheaded key initiatives, including the commercial banking workstream of the Access–Diamond Bank merger, international partnerships with European development finance institutions such as Germany’s DEG and the Netherlands’ FMO, and capital strengthening measures that saw Access Bank meet Nigeria’s new regulatory requirements ahead of competitors in 2024.
“On behalf of the Board of ABK, I would like to welcome Ralph Opara into his new role. Mr. Opara is an Access Bank Group veteran and a seasoned banker who has demonstrated agility and efficiency throughout his career. I have every confidence that his operational experience and leadership capability, combined with the local management’s deep local knowledge, will drive the business to greater heights in Kenya and beyond,” said ABK Chairperson Barbara Barungi.
The appointment comes as Access Bank Kenya pursues a merger process with National Bank of Kenya (NBK).
Opara is expected to play a central role in steering the Integration Management Office (IMO), overseeing efforts to create a stronger, regionally connected lender that blends local trust with pan-African scale.
