Any government that wants its industries to be associated with excellence would certainly like to have innovative minds like Herbert Wigwe running point in the wider mix of the private sector but sadly, Nigeria has lost this exceptional human being to a helicopter crash in California in the United States.
The deceased Access Bank chief executive reportedly died in a helicopter crash in Nipton county alongside his wife and their son on Friday 10 February.
Another Nigerian confirmed among the dead includes former Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
Early assessment came in a BBC World Service radio broadcast on Sunday morning. Bad weather in a desert area the victims were flying through cannot be ruled out although the aviation authorities in the U.S. are carrying out investigations that are expected to yield further information.
At home in Nigeria, there has been mourning, expectedly in the corporate world and also politicians.
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One who remembers him with such fondness and assumes a position of experiencing irreparable loss is Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra state and also the Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Elections.
I’m deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of my dear friend, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son, and another close friend, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of NGX Group, a tweet from Mr Obi reads.
I'm deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of my dear friend, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son, and another close friend, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of NGX Group. pic.twitter.com/7H1kHEjaob
— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) February 11, 2024
After this came a nostalgic reflection of witnessing closely the late Wigwe’s nurtured rise to becoming a prominent finance sector executive.
Then came another X post by the Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who is deeply saddened by the news of the death of Mr. Herbert Wigwe.
In Deputy Speaker Kalu’s mind, Mr Wigwe was a visionary who significantly impacted our nation’s banking sector positively. This is indeed a tragic loss to our finance industry.
For so long, Herbert Wigwe who died at the age of 57 made a mark leading remarkable initiatives as Access Bank CEO. That involved the Rivers State-born making acquisitions that made Access Bank a participant in the spread of Nigerian banks to neighbouring West African countries.
Mr Wigwe’s latest innovation is the Wigwe University targeting youths to propel his vision for global growth led by Africans.
“My name is Herbert Wigwe…and I am Fearless.”
Although our leader is gone, his vision lives on💔
RIP to the visionary who dreamed and lived fearlessly. 🙏🏾#wethefearless#wigweuniversity pic.twitter.com/DGEx80Dyfs— Wigwe University (@WigweUniversity) February 12, 2024
Signing up for undergrad studies at Rivers State-situated Wigwe University is to be a partner of this vision, which is strategic it would seem.
Mr Wigwe understands that he cannot change the world overnight. But if I can empower even one youth today, tomorrow, they could join me in empowering others. With time, we could change the world.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
