The Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc has confirmed the passing of Dr Herbert Wigwe, CFR, the Company’s founding Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and former Group Managing Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc.
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, the Board of Access Holdings Plc said Dr Wigwe died alongside his wife and son on Friday, February 9, 2024, in a helicopter accident in the United States of America.
“The entire Access Family mourns the loss of Herbert, Doreen and Chizi. We extend our deep and sincere sympathies to his family and loved ones,” it said.
The statement said Dr Wigwe was a key driving force and a larger-than-life personality who brought his remarkable passion, energy, and experience to the transformation of the Access franchise since joining the Bank in 2002.
Commenting on the passage of Dr Wigwe, Mr Abubakar Jimoh, Chairman of Access Holdings said: “The Access Family has suffered a major loss with the passing of Dr Wigwe who was a great friend and fine gentleman.
“He had a prodigious intellect, admirable personal qualities, and vast business experience which he brought to bear on the Access Family and for which we owe him a debt of gratitude.
“We remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence.”
Dr Wigwe was instrumental in the growth of Access Bank, which he co-founded with his friend and business partner Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
He took over as Access Bank Group CEO in 2014, focusing on the Bank’s expansion in Nigeria and Africa before taking the helm at Access Holdings in 2022.
Under his leadership, Access Bank drove its African strategy to become Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest retail bank by customer base.
Mr Olumide Olatunji, Country Managing Director for Access Bank Ghana, said: “We are deeply saddened by the demise of Dr Herbert Wigwe, who was a man of many colours because of the exceptional impact he had on the growth of the banking industry and communities we serve.”
“As our first Board Chairman and a pan Africanist, Dr Wigwe was pivotal in nurturing and making the Access Bank franchise relevant in Ghana as a key development partner. His legacy will never be forgotten”.
Dr Wigwe was a member of the Access Bank UK board as well as the board of the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NiBUCAA).
He has long been an advocate for the eradication of malaria in Africa, working with the Corporate Alliance on Malaria to support this objective.
He also sat on the board of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company and Friends Africa and was an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and Institute of Credit Administration.
A two-time winner of the African Banker of the Year award from the African Banker Awards, Dr Wigwe was a passionate advocate of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which form the bedrock of Access Holdings’ growth strategy.
His academic credentials include a degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, an MA in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales (now Bangor University), and an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London. He also completed the Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme.
Dr Wigwe recently founded Wigwe University, Africa’s first ivy league institution dedicated to providing a world-class education and raising the next generation of fearless leaders.
Access Holdings Plc is a leading multinational financial services group that offers commercial banking, lending, payment, insurance, and asset management services.
Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, Access Holdings operates through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets, spanning three continents, 20 countries, and 60+ million customers.
Access transitioned into a holding company to drive rapid growth and become a full-scale ecosystem player offering interconnected services across customer needs.
Established in 2022, Access Holdings Plc consists of the Access Bank Group; Access Pensions; a Payment and Switching Services Company; a Digital Lending Company, and an Insurance Brokerage Company.
The banking vertical serves its various markets through four business segments: Retail, Business, Commercial and Corporate, and has enjoyed what is it arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last eighteen years, becoming one of Africa’s largest retail banks by customer base and Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest bank by total assets.
Access Holdings strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant, helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams.
GNA