Access Holdings to Announce Interim CEO Following Tragic Passing of Herbert Wigwe

Access Holdings has revealed plans to soon unveil the appointment of an acting Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) following the untimely death of Herbert Wigwe.

Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash in the United States. The Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed around 10 pm on Friday in California, which translates to 7 am on Saturday in Nigeria, near the Nevada border.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States, in a media briefing held at 6 pm Pacific time on Saturday (3 am on Sunday in Nigeria), cited rainy and wintry weather as contributing factors to the accident.

With the GCEO position left vacant by Wigwe’s passing, Access Holdings intends to adhere to company policy by appointing a temporary replacement. The company stated, “In line with the Company’s policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr. Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence.”

Prior to his unfortunate demise, Wigwe had held the Group CEO position for two years after his appointment on March 28, 2022. His career at Access Bank included various roles, starting as the deputy managing director from 2012 to 2014, eventually becoming the group managing director and CEO. Additionally, he served as the chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment & Securities Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS), and currently as the chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited and Unified Payments Services Limited.