Herbert Wigwe

**Herbert Wigwe** Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe CFR (August 15, 1966 – February 9, 2024) was a prominent Nigerian banker and businessman who served as the Group Managing Director and CEO of Access Bank Plc, one of Nigeria's largest banking institutions. He was widely recognized for his transformative leadership in the Nigerian financial sector. **Early Life and Education** Herbert Wigwe was born on August 15, 1966, in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. He was of Nigerian citizenship. He began his professional education in accounting, becoming a chartered accountant in 1989. Wigwe obtained a Master of Science (MSc) degree in financial economics from the University of London in 1996. Furthering his executive development, he attended the Harvard Business School executive management program. In 2018, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. **Career Progression and Major Achievements** Wigwe began his career in the late 1980s as a management consultant at Coopers & Lybrand. Following this, he joined Guaranty Trust Bank, where he spent over a decade and rose to the position of executive director around 1998. In 2002, Wigwe joined Access Bank as the Deputy Managing Director, alongside his business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. Their leadership marked the start of a period of rapid transformation for the bank. In January 2014, Wigwe succeeded Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, becoming the Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Access Bank. Under his tenure, Access Bank grew significantly, including the major merger with competitor Diamond Bank in 2018, which established it as the largest bank in Nigeria at the time. He was known for his drive, his commitment to reading, and his focus on expanding the institution. **Current Status** Herbert Wigwe served as CEO and group managing director of Access Bank until his death on February 9, 2024, at the age of 57, in Nipton, California, U.S. He was married to Chizoba Wigwe (née Nwuba), who also died in 2024, and they had five children. Wigwe was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN – FCA) and a board member of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company.