Herbert Wigwe is Leadership Awards’ Banker of the Year

The group managing director/CEO of Access Bank plc, Herbert Wigwe, has been recognised as the ‘Banker of the Year’ at the 2020 Leadership Conference and Awards, held in Abuja, last week.

The award follows Wigwe’s recognition as the Banker of the Year at the 2021 African Banker Awards (second consecutive time) and Best Banking CEO at the 2021 Global Brands Magazine Awards.

Receiving the Award, Wigwe credited the efforts to all the employees at Access Bank who put a lot into ensuring the institution has been able to attain the level of success it has experienced over the last 18 months.

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“This Award is dedicated to all the ‘Access Warriors’ who bought into our vision to establish Access Bank as not only the Africa’s gateway to the world, but also as the world’s most respected African Bank. Together, we have been able to provide financial services to over 22 million previously underbanked individuals; given over 1 million women access to financial and non-financial offerings; and set the pace in banking through our novel digital and sustainable initiatives. We would not rest on our laurels, but instead continue to redefine possibilities in sustainable banking,” he said.

Over the years, Wigwe has spearheaded Access Bank’s cultural, technological and digital transformation, which has resulted in sustained year-on-year improvement in financial performance and the creation of strategic initiatives that have positively influenced the Nigerian economy.

Building on its successful expansion into Kenya, Cameroon and most recently, South Africa, Access Bank has also announced plans to make entries into Angola and Mozambique.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.