It is said that good people die early. In the case of Herbert Wigwe, aged 57, it seems too soon. Those who had the privilege of crossing paths with Herbert realized immediately that they had a unique Leader before them. In this moment of pain and grief for his family and friends and faced with the unconformism of the tragedy, it is important to remember his path and honor his legacy.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="576" height="1024" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/foto-inserir.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-61235" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/foto-inserir.jpg 576w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/foto-inserir-169x300.jpg 169w" sizes="(max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">N&#8217;gunu Tiny with Herbert Wigwe
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 I remember him as a Leader with unusual personal qualities and a global and humanistic vision. Herbert Wigwe stood out for his outstanding intelligence, fine and polite manners, and for his truly extraordinary decision-making and implementation capacities. He was a man who wanted not only to do things, but to do good and for others: he was a man of the common good. He had two families: Wigwe and Access Group, and he was committed to both. He co-founded and developed a global African institution. Access Bank is today an established African bank in the world&#8217;s main financial and commercial markets, serving 60 million customers (the same as Citi Bank, for example) in more than 17 countries, with assets totaling more than USD 35 billion. Numbers aside, he leaves us a global bank focused on African clients. Herbert was a humanist leader. And it is under this latter condition that he wanted to leave his imprint with the social impact investment in a Pan-African university in his hometown, Isiokpo, Rivers State, Nigeria, offering a new generation the opportunity of receiving world-class education. Wigwe University shall teach the new generation of African leaders and provide “school personality” to millions of Africans in the coming decades. I would also like to remember the man and the friend with whom I have had the privilege of working very closely on common projects and developing a unique friendship in recent years. Last year, on one of our trips, he asked me if I would be available to teach at Wigwe University. As I was about to answer he added, “It&#8217;s not really an invitation. I won’t take no for an answer because the transfer of knowledge is our daily obligation ”. The matter was settled right there! In this moment of deep pain and grief, I bow before the unique memory of Herbert, Doreen and Chizi and I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and the Access Group. My feelings are also with the families and friends of the remaining four victims of that fateful moment of Saturday 10 February 2024. Herbert&#8217;s legacy only makes our responsibility even greater. Keep soaring, “H”..! If he was among us, he would answer: “Tiny, No Wahala”. Lisbon, February 12, 2024.

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In memoriam: Herbert Wigwe, Leader, Visionary and Humanist (15 August 1966 – 10 February 2024).

This article has been translated and republished with permission from Forbes Africa Lusofona. This article first appeared <a href="https://www.forbesafricalusofona.com/nigeriano-access-bank-adquire-finibanco-angola-a-montepio-holding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. “Our vision remains as clear as ever, as does our determination to seize opportunities inside and outside Nigeria.&nbsp;Angola represents an opportunity for our shareholders to participate in what we believe will generate stronger value as Africa emerges.&nbsp;We remain committed to making these disciplined and well-structured investments to create a strong and holistic platform that will be competitive, diverse and attractive for years to come”, says Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Holding Pics, exclusively for Forbes África Lusófona, regarding the binding agreement with Montepio Holding SGPS SA to acquire a 51% majority stake in Finibanco Angola SA



The acquisition, signed after the signing of several agreements (pictured), is subject to regulatory approvals in Nigeria and Angola, and is expected to close in the first half of 2023, after fulfilling the conditions precedent, Forbes has learned.&nbsp;At the same time and in a statement, Banco Montepio adds that “the sale value will refer to the proportion attributable to the Banco Montepio Group in the equity of Finibanco Angola SA, which totals 70 million euros with reference to June 30, 2022, and the adjustments that may be determined within the scope of an audit scheduled for completion in the second quarter of 2023”.



“For MH and for the broader Banco Montepio group, this is an important step in its strategy of concentrating its activity on the domestic market and, at the same time, opening new paths for the future of Finibanco Angola, which it helped to develop during more than a decade under its ownership”, says the document.



For Access Bank, “the transaction furthers the Bank’s strategy of being Africa’s payment gateway to the world, while working with other continent-focused multilaterals to provide robust and efficient payment platforms and ecosystems.”



It should be noted that Access Bank has a network of more than 700 branches and service points on three continents, with 45 million customers.&nbsp;and 28,000 workers in Nigeria, as well as subsidiaries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom, in addition to a subsidiary in Dubai and representative offices in China, Lebanon and India.



Finibanco Angola SA is a commercial bank with more than 20 branches and around US$300 million in total assets that has been operating in Angola since 2008.

Author: Forbes Africa Lusofona

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

In memoriam: Herbert Wigwe, Leader, Visionary and Humanist (15 August 1966 – 10 February 2024).

Exclusive: “Angola represents an opportunity for our shareholders”, says CEO of Access Bank