Herbert Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings Plc, is believed to have died in a helicopter crash along with his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc.
The chopper carrying them from Palm Springs to Boulder City, Nevada, crashed outside a small town in California’s Mojave Desert at 10 p.m. on Friday.
Authorities say they have not found any survivors, and the cause of the crash is unknown. The National Transportation Board has dispatched a team to the scene to investigate the accident.
NTSB launching go team to investigate Friday’s crash of an Airbus Helicopters EC-130 near Halloran Springs, California. Team to arrive on scene today.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) February 10, 2024
“NTSB launching go team to investigate Friday’s crash of an Airbus Helicopters EC-130 near Halloran Springs, California,” it posted on its X handle. “Team to arrive on scene today.”
Wigwe was born on August 15, 1966, and went on to become a banker and entrepreneur, eventually becoming one of Nigeria’s most well-known names and leaders in the banking and financial sectors. He also served as the Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Bank Plc, following his business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, from January 2014 until April 2022.
Herbert Wigwe is also the creator of Wigwe University, a new tertiary institution in Rivers State, where he comes from.
He is also a Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme alumnus with a master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales, a master’s degree in Financial Economics from the University of London, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Reports of the fatal incident have sent shockwaves throughout Nigeria, with the topic immediately dominating talks.