Access Bank and its Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe, received awards as the ‘Bank of the Decade’ and ‘Banker of the Decade’ respectively from Thisday at its recent 25th Anniversary held at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos.
The occasion was graced by diplomats, politicians, captains of industry, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Emeka Anyaoku; Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo; founder of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari; and former Anambra Governor Peter Obi.
Wigwe received the award with éclat, saying: “It is an honour to be recognised by such a prestigious platform, renowned for its work in unbiased and qualitative reportage. This award is dedicated to all members of staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure the growth and success of the bank and all its subsidiaries. Furthermore, we thank all 32 million of our customers who trust us as we continue our journey to being Africa’s gateway to the world.”
Wigwe has, in the past decade, piloted the affairs of Access Bank from a small financial institution to Africa’s largest retail bank. One of his steps was his ability to fix series of strategic high-profile merger, while, as an analyst put it, “pushing and driving participation in community-focused initiatives that have endeared the bank to its customers.”
A case in point is that, as another commentator put it, “with the completion of its merger with Diamond Bank, Access Bank’s customer base has grown from about 13 million to 32 million.”