Herbert Wigwe: A star that went too soon

BY GBOYEGA SEUN-ADELAJA

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, Herbert Wigwe, the iconic banking visionary, was in London. That evening, he made a call to his older sister, Joyce Wigwe, a distinguished legal scholar who holds a Ph.D.from Stanford University, USA. Their chat was not just any conversation. It was deep, personal, nostalgic, of childhood memories, laughter shared, funny dreams and reminiscing the innocent mischief of youth. They talked of life’s burdens, worries, fears, aspirations, hopes for their children, and the quiet weight of responsibility.

Then he reached out to Emeka, their younger brother, to join their call. The three siblings spoke with warmth and humour, slipping into Efik language, their mother’s tongue, reliving their roots. Herbert congratulated Emeka for winning the contract for a project close to the family’s heart. It was a moment of pride as Herbert paused a few seconds, perhaps for a momentary introspection over a brother that undoubtedly shares his manifest trait : an unwavering, fearless spirit in the carriage of their personal conviction.

Soon, their parents joined the call, their 89-year-old father, Pastor Shyngle Wigwe, a retired Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and their mother, a retired Nurse. The call blossomed into a joyful family catchup, filled with laughter, familiar teasing, and shared affection. It was one of those cherished moments ; a delightful impromptu family rendezvous that no one envisaged would never be reenacted.

The fearless banker and ultra-committed philanthropist was scheduled to leave London the next day for the US with his beloved wife, Chizoba, and their son, Chizzy, to attend the Super Bowl. Before departing, he made a promise to Joyce, his sister- that he would pick her up in his private jet on his way back so that they would visit their aging parents together in Lagos.

Herbert was known for many things, including his brilliance, generosity and loyalty. Above all, he was known as a man who tried never to break a promise.
But this time, he would.

Because, this time, he would not return.

On Friday, August 15, 2025, the world paused to celebrate the life of Herbert Wigwe, Nigerian titan of finance, a visionary banker, devoted family man, impassioned giver and tireless patron of humanity who came to this earth on August 15, 1966. Yet, this celebration, as in the previous year, was pierced by grief; a birthday marked not by cake and laughter, but by the haunting stillness of absence.

But there was a silence ; deep, hounding, and almost unbearable. While his family and countless friends lifted their hearts to celebrate the birthday of the towering banker, a chilling quietude enveloped Access Bank—the very institution he nurtured, built, and transformed into a global brand.
On that same day, August 15, fate delivered its cruel irony. The front page of a Nigerian newspaper bore the picture of the Bank’s Non-Executive Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, his face lit with a glowing smile beside the President of Zambia. That image, innocent in itself, spoke volumes. It was a reminder of life’s tragic paradox—and the haunting silence that trails a fallen icon.

The genesis of greatness

Born into a modest home where love and warmth were abundant, a home where passion for education was perpetually aglow, Herbert’s brilliance was apparent from earliest memory. He went on from this home to become the man who turned brilliance into destiny.

Herbert began his academic ascent at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; where he earned a degree in Accountancy with the precision of a mind made for numbers. Armed with ambition, he became a Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, at only 23.

He deepened his mastery of finance with a Master of Arts degree in Banking and Finance at 25 years of age from the University College of North Wales (now Bangor University, UK); and then a second Master’s degree, an M.Sc. in Financial Economics from the University of London . By this time, he was 30 years old.
His thirst for leadership later led him to the Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme, where he further honed the vision and strategy that would redefine African banking.
Herbert added a degree in Law from the University of London later in his 50s, even whilst still the Group CEO of Access Bank, one of Africa’s most successful banks.

His professional odyssey began at Coopers & Lybrand, where he cut his teeth as a Management Consultant and then flourished at Capital Bank. He would later join Guaranty Trust Bank, now GTBank, in 1989, where his path crossed with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. They both rose to the position of Executive Directors of the bank when he was only 30 years old.

In 2002, Herbert, now 36, and his friend, Aigboje, acquired a modest Access Bank, then the 65th largest bank in Nigeria.
After 12 years of Aig-Imoukhuede at the helm, Herbert Wigwe took over as the MD/CEO in January 2014 .

A visionary leader whose rare business acumen and innovative mindset redefined the frontiers of banking enterprise, Herbert
transformed Access Bank into a continental powerhouse with a presence in over a dozen African countries and beyond the continent. As Group CEO, he didn’t just grow the bank. He built an institution rooted in innovation and corporate vision that became Africa’s global voice in finance. Among the elites of the technocracies , he stood on a different pedestal with only a few.

From his first ledger entry to commanding one of Africa’s largest banks, Herbert Wigwe’s journey was the story of a mind that saw possibilities where others saw limits, a leader who turned ambition into impact; always striving for excellence. Herbert’s humility and accessibility were, in part, an attempt to manage those less accomplished, which might have provoked envy in some minds especially because of his phenomenal attainments. He was not totally oblivious of the signs of this flickering jealousy but he remained free and at ease with everyone.

The Making of a Banker

As he ascended through the ranks of the banking world, Herbert became not only a financier but also a trailblazer. He brought a human face to finance, steering landmark mergers, championing small entrepreneurs, bridging the worlds of commerce and social impact. Under his stewardship, Access Bank metamorphosed. It became a beacon in African finance, bold, innovative and socially conscious.

He was lauded widely, but he prized something else even more. It was family. His devotion to his beloved wife, Chizoba and all his children notably Chizzy, his heir apparent that he was grooming. He would not let three days pass, no matter the part of the world he was, without phoning his parents. He loved them passionately and looked after them.

But on that fateful day in Nipton, USA, February 9, 2024, everything changed. Herbert, his wife, and their oldest son perished in a tragic helicopter crash.
A sudden silence after the roar of his life.

When friends become foes

The world mourned, his parents were shattered, his children, siblings, friends, business colleagues and associates, all were devastated. Even those who did not know him mourned. Nigeria froze in tragic silence.
But his parents, siblings and children would face more anguish.
Because they were not given a chance to mourn their blood before betrayal, media vilification, lies, dishonour and smear campaigns came in quick succession like a siege against the family. These negative forces came with brazen brutality, orchestrating division in an otherwise closely knit Wigwe family.

Even Access Bank was not spared. Its history was being rewritten instantly. Herbert, a Co-Founder of the bank and whose era unleashed the signature strides and untrammelled story of Access Bank’s success, allegedly, was allegedly described as “the first good recruit ” of the bank by Aig-Imoukhuede, his partner at a retreat dubbed The First Global Retreat ” in one African country . Ironically, Aig-Imoukhuede allegedly had practically divested and exited Access Bank and Access Holdings ecosystem before the death of Herbert. Describing his partner therefore as ” first good recruit ” was a freezing betrayal of Herbert and a harrowing disservice to Access Bank as an institution and indeed to history.
But most insensitive was the monthly stipend once sent to Herbert’s parents by the bank during their son’s lifetime . It was no longer assured. Instead of a comforting lifeline, it became capricious because now it came by whim, by pressure and even appeal from Herbert’s friends.
Herbert’s father, Shyngle Wigwe, 89 years old and his wife seemed left in a wilderness, let down by those they called their children because of how close they were to their late son.
But their only surviving son, Emeka Wigwe , a man of grit and granite will, would rise to assume responsibility for the welfare and wellbeing of his parents.

The height of betrayal
Still, one cannot but wonder how grossly insensitive, how cruel the intermittent termination or even suspension of their monthly stipend could be at a time when financial stability might have offered them a sliver of solace amid their grief.
Yet, grief deepens as trust fractures. Many trusted friends of their son, those Herbert had welcomed into his heart and home turned away. These same friends now whisper falsehoods, blunt their own conscience to peddle lies on the media in order to break the old man whose only sin was asking to know his son’s stake in Access Bank.
The nonagenarian was still waiting to hear from the bank when he woke up to the treacherous reports on the newspapers, social media and even tv channels. The news ?
That he was suing his granddaughter, Tochi, in order to grab her father’s estate. Rumours, cruel and untrue, directed at the Wigwe’s family, blossomed. The Wigwes became a family tested by tragegy and treachery. But they bore their trial with stoic holding on to their dignity.

Truth Against Treachery

But the unvarnished truth must stand . And that plain, raw and unembellished truth is that when the monthly stipend was halted by Access Bank’s management, the elderly Wigwe sought clarity. He only sought to know what share his son held in Access Bank so that he could legitimately ask for the support he had come to depend on. This was what some of the best and most trusted friends of Herbert, with stakes in the bank, didn’t want to hear because they were already creating sub-plots towards tampering with Herbert’s stake in the bank.

So the management denied him, not just the stipend, but answers to his enquiry. In frustration, he sued the bank.

But in a move that felt calculated, cold and malicious, the bank’s team led by their Lawyer, Paul Usoro who was so close to Herbert while he was alive visited the old man at his home. They went purposely to manipulate and deceive the father of their late boss. So, right inside his house , they disingenuously convinced him to let them add his granddaughter, Tochi, to the suit he filed in court. This , Usoro said , was just ” a formality ” and had to be done because she was the one that had the authority to sign for the release of the monthly stipend.This was happening at a time that the little girl, Tochi, had been completely shielded from her grandfather ; a grandpa she was very fond of, one who , a few months earlier , had spent one whole month with her and her parents on a holiday in South Africa, all sharing one house including grandpa’s wife, her grandmother.

In a staggeringly dishonorable twist, however, once the unsuspecting nonagenarian aproved the addition of Tochi to the suit, the bank, pronto, issued a press release framing the story as though the elderly Wigwe had sued his granddaughter over her father’s estate. This is a blazing lie by a desperate economic cabal bent on mischaracterizing a man whose soul was defined by integrity and family devotion. The news spread like a wild fire.

Still, the Wigwes remained silent knowing that time ultimately will unveil the truth.

But what about Tochi. What was her disposition ? Practically held hostage by those plagued by greed and avarice, she purportedly still keeps her mind and spirit whole. She remains clear-eyed, uncorrupted despite aggressive manipulations . After her father’s tragic death, she was asked, “Who would you want to work with on your father’s estate?” She named one person: “My grandfather.”

The bond between them stands unbroken, untainted by the unfortunate machinations of Access bank management.
Based on her choice, Usoro , the bank’s Lawyer, prepared a document that grandfather and granddaughter signed. This document till date remains buried somewhere in the inner recesses of the banks vaults, locked away, hidden and inaccessible.

How would Herbert feel

Just imagine ! Picture a possibility of Herbert seeing from his grave what his best friends are trying to do : pitching his beloved daughter against his dear father and family. He will certainly be wailing. And not for himself, but for the betrayal of his memory. For the hardship thrust upon his aging parents. For his granddaughter, caught in a legal crossfire. For the institution he helped build, now weaponizing lies against those he loved most.

Legacy and Calling

But this is not only a story of tragedy. It is a call to honour legacy and truth.
On August 15, people indeed remembered Herbert Wigwe for who he was : a man of boundless vision, of family devotion, and of unshakeable integrity. Let us, therefore, commemorate not only the life he lived but the love he bestowed and the bonds he forged. Let us recommit ourselves to seeing through deception and restoring dignity.
Let this day be a tribute to a banker who banked on humanity, a father who invested in love, and passion for his family and parents.

In memory and in hope, we say, posthumously : Happy Birthday, Herbert ! May your soaring spirit guide us still. And may the memory of your life be an inspiration.

Seun-Adelaja wrote in from Abuja