Herbert Wigwe was born in Rivers State and had his education at the University of Nigeria, Nuskka and across other institutions. In 2002, he started Access Bank with his friend, friend, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, and rose to become the CEO in January 2014.
Herbert Wigwe was also a philanthropist, who is committed to improving the lives of humanity with different charitable initiatives.
Here are ten things to know about the late Herbert Wigwe
1. Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe was born to pastor Shyngle Wigwe and his spouse on August 15, 1966.
2. He hails from Onueke Isiokpo, Ikwerre in Rivers State Nigeri.
3. Wigwe graduated from the University of Nigeria with a degree in accounting. An MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London and an MA in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales, now Bangor. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School.
4. Wigwe began his banking career as a management consultant at Coopers & Lybrand in Lagos. He then earned his chartered accounting designation.
5. After joining GTBank, he worked in corporate and institutional banking for more than ten years, eventually advancing to the position of executive director overseeing institutional banking.
6. In 2002, Wigwe and his business associate, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, acquired Access Bank, a tiny commercial bank that was ranked 65th out of 89 institutions in the country at the time.
7. In 2014, he became the chief executive officer and the managing director of Access Bank.
8. Access Bank is now among the top 500 worldwide banks and among the top five banks in Nigeria. One of the top five banks in Nigeria, serving over 6.5 million account holders through 350 branches and more than 1,500 ATMs in key cities around Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK.
9. Herbert Wigwe is a philanthropist. In addition to many other charitable endeavors, he was instrumental in the development of the “Thought-Leadership Series,” also known as The Access Conference. This biennial event is Access Bank’s answer to a worldwide appeal for business engagement in tackling the key issues confronting humanity.
10. President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria awarded him the title of Commander of the Order of the Niger in October 2022 in recognition of his accomplishments in banking and finance.
