Late Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe was a Nigerian banker and businessman. He was the group managing director and CEO of Access Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s top five banking institutions, after succeeding his business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
Wigwe started his career at Coopers & Lybrand and Guaranty Trust Bank before joining Access Bank in 2002 as the company’s deputy managing director. He became the chief executive officer of the company in January 2014. He died in a helicopter crash on 9 February 2024 in the United States on his way to attend the Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII championship in Las Vegas.
Early Life And Education
Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe was born on 15 August 1966, in (Lagos|,Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State), Nigeria. His father was the Director General akin to the head of the Nigerian Television Authority and his mother was a nurse. Wigwe earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1987.
In 1990, Wigwe received the British council scholarship to study at the University College of North Wales (now Bangor University), earning a Master of Arts in banking and finance in 1991. He later earned a MSc in financial economics from the University of London in 1996. He attended the Harvard Business School executive management program, and in 2018 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Personal life
Wigwe was married from 1994 to Doreen Chizoba Wigwe (née Nwuba), born 12 July 1967, and had four children.
Death
Wigwe was among six people who died on 9 February 2024 after the Eurocopter EC130 in which they were travelling crashed near Nipton, California. Also killed were his wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe, his 29-year-old son Chizi Wigwe, former Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Chairman Abimbola Ogunbanjo, and two crew members. The passengers were on their way from Palm Springs International Airport to Boulder City, Nevada on a charter flight operated by Orbic Air to attend the Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.
The remains of Wigwe and his family were repatriated to Nigeria, where they were buried in his hometown in Isiokpo, Rivers State, on 9 March, following a week-long wake in Lagos that was attended by several prominent personalities, including billionaire and Africa’s richest person Aliko Dangote, who pledged to rename the road leading to his oil refinery in his honor.
Awards
Wigwe was named 2016 Banker of The Year by The Sun and Vanguard, two of Nigeria’s largest newspapers.
In recognition of “his exemplary role in the society and contributions to youth development”, the Boys’ Brigade inaugurated Herbert Wigwe as State Patron for Lagos State Council in 2016.
In October 2022, Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, a Nigerian national honour, was conferred on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.
