Herbert Wigwe is more of polished diamond among the rough, tarnished czars of Nigeria’s banking industry. This is why he was deemed without fault in the ongoing anticorruption investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Access bank Managing Director (MD), was recently declared free of all doubts by the anti-graft agency in its investigation of the slush fund scandal involving some bank chiefs and former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
Although Wigwe was invited by the EFCC for questioning in respect of an ongoing investigation, it was discovered that he had no hand in the scandalous transaction. The EFCC also absolved him of complicity in the slush fund scandal involving Diezani and other bank chiefs. Findings revealed that Wigwe never had contact with the former petroleum minister. He did no business with her and he never had cause to hobnob with her in same business and social circuits.
As head honcho of Access Bank, Wigwe understands the need to abide by the company’s corporate philosophy which is to become the world’s most respected African bank thus he would never engage in any act or association that would be inimical to the progress and good image of his organisation.
Wigwe started his professional career with Coopers and Lybrand Associates, an international firm of Chartered Accountants. He spent over 10 years at Guaranty Trust Bank where he managed several portfolios including Financial institutions, Corporates and Multinationals. He left Guaranty Trust as an Executive Director to co-lead the transformation of Access Bank Plc in March 2002 as Deputy Managing Director. He was appointed Group Managing Director/CEO effective January 1, 2014. He is an Alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme and holds a Masters degree in Banking and International Finance from the University College of North Wales; a Masters degree in Financial Economics from the University of London and a B.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu state.
Wigwe is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is the Chairman of The Access Bank (UK) Ltd and Interim Chairman of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company Plc.
