Access Holdings Plc has opened a condolence register in memory of its late group chief executive officer Herbert Wigwe at the main entrance of Access Towers, Lagos.
Wigwe, his wife Chizoba, and son Chizi died in a helicopter crash in the United States on February 9.
Former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Abimbola Ogunbanjo also died in the crash.
During a visit to the Access Towers on Monday, a member of staff, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told PUNCH that everything was running as usual except that “everywhere is extra quiet”.
Wigwe and his friend Aigboje Aig-Imoukhede bought Access Bank in 2002 when it was struggling and grew it to become one of the top lenders in Africa.
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Under Wigwe’s leadership, Access Bank transitioned into a holding company with the bank as its flagship subsidiary. It also expanded into other countries and business segments.
Access Holdings was one of the financial institutions that crossed N1 trillion in market capitalisation in January, although it had dropped below that milestone.
In January, Access Holdings completed the acquisition of an insurance brokerage firm, Megatech Insurance Brokers Ltd and announced the receipt of regulatory approval to set up a consumer lending subsidiary, named Oxygen X Finance Company Limited.
Meanwhile, Access Holdings Plc on Monday announced the appointment of Bolaji Agbede as the acting group chief executive officer.
A statement by the company’s board of directors stated that the appointment was subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
