Herbert Wigwe, the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, reflected on the preciousness of life just 21 days before his tragic death in a helicopter crash in California, United States.
Wigwe, his wife Chizoba, his son, and Ogunbanjo perished on Friday night when their helicopter crashed near the Nevada border while en route to Las Vegas. According to sources, they were heading to Las Vegas to attend the Super Bowl.
Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift – a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect.
Let’s honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count.
Let us number our days.#HOW pic.twitter.com/U0ePI0pXl5
— Herbert Wigwe, C.F.R (@HerbertOWigwe) January 19, 2024
In a poignant social media post on January 19th, the billionaire businessman contemplated the gift of life and the importance of living purposefully and gratefully. “Let us number our days,” he wrote.
In a statement, Access Holdings confirmed receiving inquiries about a US plane crash but lacked specifics on whether its CEO was involved. The company said it is collaborating with US authorities and will provide prompt updates.
Wigwe’s shocking death elicited mourning across Nigeria’s corporate landscape, with many describing the loss of the visionary banker as a huge blow to the banking sector, shareholders, and the nation. His contemplative words on treasuring each day now stand as a tragic reminder to make the most of the time we have.
Wigwe started his career at one of the world’s leading accounting firms, Coopers & Lybrand, Lagos (which has now merged with PwC) as a management consultant, later qualifying as a chartered accountant.
After a stint at Capital Bank, he joined GTBank where he spent over a decade working in corporate and institutional banking, rising to become the executive director in charge of institutional banking.
In 2002, Wigwe and his business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, bought into Access Bank, then a small commercial bank, positioned in size as 65th of the 89 banks in the country.
As of date Access Bank is one of the top five banks in Nigeria and ranked among the top 500 global banks according to a 2015 report by The Banker magazine and is aiming to be Africa’s top bank.
It currently serves over 6.5 million account-holders, through 350 branches and with more than 1,500 ATMs in major centres across Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.
Wigwe also served as the Chairman of Access Bank Ghana, Access Investment & Securities Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) and was at the time of his death the Chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited.
He was a board member of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company and a member of the advisory Board for Friends Africa.
He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN – FCA), a Fellow of The Institute of Credit Administration, and an Honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
Wigwe was involved in the creation of ‘Thought-Leadership Series’ known as The Access Conference. The biennial event is Access Bank’s response to a global call for corporate involvement in resolving the major challenges facing humanity.
Wigwe recently invested heavily in the educational sector, setting up the Wigwe University as a world class learning center.
Meanwhile, Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, and the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, were among those who expressed shock over the tragic death of the Access Holdings Plc boss.
Atiku, in a tweet on his X handle on Saturday night, described the incident as unfortunate.
He wrote, “I’m deeply saddened to hear about the unfortunate incident that led to the loss of Herbert Wigwe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, and his family. Indeed, Herbert Wigwe, consummate banker, education promoter, and philanthropist, numbered his days. On behalf of my family, my heart goes out to their loved ones and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident. May their souls rest in peace.”
Obaseki, on his part, said the death of Wigwe “has left me extremely shocked and devastated.”
In a statement he personally signed, the governor said, “We also unfortunately lost Wigwe’s wife and son, as well as the former Group Chairman of the Nigeria Stock Exchange, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, in the crash. The tragic incident is painful and heart-wrenching, and we pray for God’s abiding comfort in this profoundly difficult time.
“Wigwe was a colossus in Nigeria’s financial sector, leading Access Bank to become an international brand that placed Nigeria on the global map of first-class financial services. I commiserate with the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, Access Bank Holding, the Nigeria Stock Exchange, friends and associates, and pray that God will grant all the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”
The Director-General, World Trade Organisation, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, posted on her X handle @NOIweala, “Terribly saddened by the news of the terrible loss of Herbert Wigwe, Group CEO Access Bank, his wife and son as well as Bimbo Ogunbanjo in a helicopter crash.
“My deepest sympathies and condolences to the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, Access Bank Group employees and Management and my younger brother, Herbert’s partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.”
Also, former lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, described the incident as a great loss, tweeting, “It was sad and heartbreaking; a great loss. May their souls rest in peace.”
On his part, a House of Representatives member, Akin Alabi, described the incident as a national tragedy and heartbreaking.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, described the incident as shocking.
“His (Wigwe’s) death is confirmed. It is a big loss to every sector, and not just himself, with his wife and son. It is very painful,” he said.
The Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Communications, FAA Rick Breitenfeldt emailed, “Contact local authorities for the names and medical conditions of the people on board.”
The President of the Association of Foreign Airlines and Representatives in Nigeria, Dr. Kingsley Nwokoma, said he was aware of the information regarding Wigwe’s demise.
“This is a big loss. He didn’t die alone, both his wife and son were also involved. It’s quite unfortunate that they had to die this way,” he said on the telephone.
A few months ago, the co-founder of Access Bank disclosed plans to invest $500m in Wigwe University, a strategic initiative aimed at fostering skills crucial for the finance and technology sectors in Nigeria.
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