Nigeria’s Ralph Opara has been appointed the new Managing Director of Access Bank Kenya (ABK) following approval by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

Opara moves to Nairobi from his role as Group Head of the Commercial Banking Division at Access Bank Group, which he expanded into the lender’s largest commercial business, managing a balance sheet of over $1.2 billion and risk assets exceeding $1.3 billion.

He takes over from Lillian Odhiambo, who has been serving in an acting capacity since 2024. Odhiambo will remain at the bank as Executive Director, Wholesale Banking, and will oversee a smooth leadership transition.

“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,” said ABK Chairperson Barbara Barungi.

Access Bank, Nigeria’s biggest lender, entered Kenya in 2020 through the acquisition of Transnational Bank and later expanded by purchasing National Bank of Kenya (NBK) from KCB Group earlier this year.

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Opara will now lead both ABK and NBK through an Integration Management Office (IMO) set up to build a stronger, regionally connected institution that blends local trust and heritage with pan-African scale.

The bank said the integration will focus on inclusive growth, regional trade, and accelerating Kenya’s economic transformation.