Access bank CEO Herbert Wigwe, wife and odas die for di helicopter wey crash for California – Presidency

Nigeria presidency say di death of Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank CEO na terrible blow for Nigeria and Africa banking industry.

Dis tok dey come as American authorities confam say one helicopter wey carry six pipo crash for California on Friday night.

Special Adviser Information and Strategy to President Tinubu for im X account say Wigwe, im wife Chizoba and dia son bin dey on dat helicopter.

“Dis na big blow for Nigeria and Africa banking industry.

Wigwe bin get big vision to make Access Holdings Africa biggest, with all di unquenchable thirst for acquisitions. E also make mark for im community, by building a university, wey e once tell me say go make a difference by focusing on entrepreneurship.

Now e don leave all to return to im maker. Mayim soul rest in perfect peace. May di souls of im wife Chizoba, son and lawyer Abimbola Ogunbanjo, wey die inside di same ghastly copter crash for California desert also rest in peace.” E tok.

The death of Roosevelt Herbert Wigwe is a terrible blow for Nigeria and Africa’s banking industry. Wigwe had a big vision to make Access Holdings Africa’s biggest, with all the unquenchable thirst for acquisitions. He also made a mark in his community, by building a university,… pic.twitter.com/scFsJhqfb6

— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) February 10, 2024

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, di director general of di World Trade Organization, also tok for her post on X say Herbert Wigwe, di group CEO of di Lagos-based Access Bank, bin dey on board di helicopter with im wife and son.

Meanwhile e neva dey clear wetin cause di crash but tori tok say dem neva find any survivor for di crash yet.

Di crash bin happun around Nevada border for California, United States on Friday evening.

Also, authorities for America neva confam di pipo wey dey inside di helicopter.

Di Federal Aviation Administration under di US department of Transportation for dia statement reveal say na one “Eurocopter EC 130 helicopter bin crash near Nipton, California, around 10 p.m. local time on Friday, Feb. 9 and Six pipo dey on board.”

Aviation Administration tok say dia National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) go begin investigate di mata and go dey provide update.

Profile of Herbert Wigwe

Herbert Wigwe na di co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings PLC, wey dey offer financial services for sectors in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Di journey of Wigwe to become one of Africa top corporate banker bin begin wen im complete im accountancy degree from di University of Nigeria for Nsukka. Wigwe still kontinu to grow im journey as im earn Masters for Banking and Finance from di University of North Wales (now Bangor) and anoda Masters for Financial Economics from di presigious University of London.

Wigwe na alumnus of di Harvard Business School Executive Management Program. Afta which im still go study law for University of London. Na from Coopers and Lybrand for Lagos im begin im journey as a management consultant wey make am qualify as a chartered accountant.

Im first work for Capital Bank, afta which im go join GTBank wia im spend ova a decade to work for corporate and institutional banking, from dia e rise to become di Executive Director wey dey in-charge of institutional banking.

Wigwe get clear experience for di banking sector, im partner wit Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede to buy into Access Bank for 2002 at di time wey di bank dey rank 65th largest bank in Nigeria.

Wigwe begin im leadership tenure for Access Bank as Deputy Managing Director, before im succeed Aig-Imoukhuede as di Group Managing Director/CEO for 2014. Im hold dat position until 2022.

For dat eight-year period wey im lead Access bank, Wigwe and im team of leaders carry Access Bank to become Africa largest retail bank (by customer base) for sub-saharan Africa. Access bank also become one of di top 500 financial institution brands for di world, according to one 2022 report by Brand Finance, afta di bank don get operations for 12 kontries across di world globe. For Africa alone, Wigwe bin lead di bank to 60 million customers.

Wigwe na also di Chairman of di Access Bank UK, wey don dey become a very strong African Bank for di United Kingdom.

Im also dey di board of Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS as member wey dey lead major businesses for Nigeria to fight HIV/AIDS within di health system and di private sector workforce.

Im be honorary member of di Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, a Fellow of di Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and also di Institute of Credit Administration.

For 2021, Wigwe bin receive recognition as African Banker of di Year, for di second consecutive year. Dat same year again, di Global Brands Magazine Award recognise am as di ‘Best Banking CEO’ wia im also receive di Juris Law Award by di Juris Law Office sake of im contributions to corporate governance and rule of law for Nigeria banking industry.

During di COVID-19 global crisis, Wigwe act by co-leading di formation of CACOVID (Coalition Against COVID) wia dem establish 39 isolation centers across the 36 states of Nigeria including FCT Abuja and also feed 10 million families across Nigeria.

Im launch ‘The HOW Foundation’ for 2016. Wigwe also launch di Wigwe University

Im bin get five children wit im wife Doreen Chizoba Wigwe.