Nigerian billionaire Herbert Wigwe, boss of Access Bank, dies in California accident

Published on: 02/11/2024 – 00:29

2 minutes

A helicopter carrying Herbert Wigwe and five of his relatives, including his wife and son, crashed on the border between Nevada and California on Friday evening. The President of Access Bank and his employees were on their way to Las Vegas, where they were to attend the Super Bowl. Local police said there were no survivors at the crash site. The Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, posted a message on the social network A friend, brother and neighbor

» Herbert Wigway.

The reported tragic loss of my friend, brother and distant neighbor in Lagos, Herbert Wigwe, co-founder of Access Bank, CEO of Access Holdings and founder of Wigwe University, is very devastating. He was in my office earlier this week (where we took pictures… pic.twitter.com/3nlXhEFPfQ

— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) February 10, 2024

At the helm of Nigeria’s largest bank by assets, the billionaire was also known for his philanthropic activities. Herbert Wigwe has committed to investing $500 million over five years to establish a university of excellence in Nigeria to train young Nigerians in the finance and tech sectors.

In May, Herbert Wigwe took the helm of the France-Nigeria Investment Club, which was founded by Emmanuel Macron in 2018 to strengthen ties with captains of industry in Africa’s most populous country. Access Bank, based in London for fifteen years, opened a branch in Paris during the same period, a strategic move to expand its influence into Europe and French-speaking Africa.