The evening of Monday was filled with deep emotions as political, business leaders; friends, family, and associates gathered at the Eko Hotel in Lagos to pay their final respects to the late Herbert Wigwe, the former Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc.
The air was laced with a palpable sense of loss and sorrow as industry captains joined the mourners to bid farewell to a visionary leader who had left an indelible mark in the corporate world.
CBN Governor, Cardoso, from the interactions he had with the late Wigwe, he could tell that the departed Bank CEO was really concerned about his country’s economic challenges and was collaborating with the apex bank to address them.
Like Cardoso, Edun also recalled the late Access Holding group CEO’s contributions to the nation’s economy.
“He was so full of ideas and creative in his thinking,” Edun said about Wigwe.
The President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina also hailed Wigwe’s ingenuity, saying “everything he touched turned into gold”.
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, have pledged to immortalise the legacy of the late Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe.
They stated this at an event titled, ” Celebrating Herbert Wigwe- a professional legacy” organised by Access Bank in Lagos on Monday, which saw several prominent Nigerians, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and non-Nigerians extolling the qualities and virtues of the late GroupCEO of Access Holdings.
In his speech at the event, Sanwo-Olu said he would always remember Herbert Wigwe for his tremendous support to his administration.
According to Sanwo-Olu, Wigwe went out of his way to contribute to the growth and development of Lagos.The Governor, who noted that Wigwe was born in Lagos, said that the state will ensure that he is immortalized.
Similarly, Dangote in his speech, said that he would name the biggest road at the Dangote Refinery after the late co-founder of Access Bank.
Dangote, who described Wigwe as one of his mentees, said the late banker played a key role in ensuring that the Refinery project was successfully completed.
He noted that Wigwe was always there to encourage him and help tackle the challenges that could have hindered the completion of the Refinery.
Other prominent Nigerians who spoke at the event such as Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, who along with Wigwe acquired Access Bank.Along with his wife, son, and former chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), Abimbola Ogunbanjo, Wigwe passed away in a helicopter crash outside Washington, D.C. on February 9, 2024. In the tragic accident, two crew members died as well.
