Access Holdings Mourns Wigwe’s

Access Holdings Plc Board has announced the passing of its Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe.

The Groups chief executive died alongside his wife, and son in a fatal helicopter crash that occurred near the Nevada-California border on Friday.

The magazine reports that all the six occupants of the crashed helicopter died immediately, but US aviation authorities has yet to identify other passengers who died in  the ill-fated crash.

According to a statement released on Sunday, and made available to the Magazine the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc confirmed the demise of the founding Group Chief Executive Officer and former Group Managing Director of its flagship subsidiary Access Bank Plc.

The group said it will ensure that the legacy left by its demised GMD is not destroyed.

The statement signed by the company’s secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, Access Holdings said Wigwe’s death is painful and a big loss to the group.

It said: “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,” 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.”

Speaking on Wigwe’s legacy, 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.

“In line with the Company’s policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer. However, we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence.”

Wigwe’s Profile

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.

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 Program.

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.

Meanwhile, Access Bank said on Sunday that it is cooperating with US authorities which are currently investigating the fatal crash to ascertain what led to it.