Access Bank Confirms Death of Group CEO
Access Holdings Plc. has confirmed the death of its founding member of Access Bank, Dr Herbert Wigwe who perished in a plane crash in the United States of America (USA).
The bank has however promised to leverage on his achievements for the growth of the company.
The 57-year-old died with his entire nuclear family in a plane crash on Friday, February 9, 2024, on their way to watch the Super Bowl according to reports.
Confirming the sad news over the weekend, the company said, “The Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc. (the Company) has announced the passing of Dr Herbert Wigwe, CFR, the Company’s founding Group Chief Executive Officer and former Group Managing Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc. (the Bank). Dr. Wigwe died alongside his wife and son on Friday, February 9, 2024, in a helicopter accident in the United States of America.”
It described the late leader as a key driving force in the success and growth of the company.
The Chairman of Access Holdings, Mr Abubakar Jimoh, mulled over the loss, noting his contribution to the company put them in debt of gratitude to him.
He added, “We remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence.”
About Dr Wigwe
Dr Wigwe held 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.
He joined Access Holdings, a company that offers commercial banking lending, payment, insurance, and asset management services, in 2002 and co-founded Access Bank with his friend and business partner Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
He later 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.
He won the African Banker of the Year award from the African Banker Awards twice in 2020 and 2021.
