Aig-Imoukhuede and Herbert Wigwe Acquired Access Bank in 2002, Propelling it to Become Nigeria’s Largest Lender by Market Value
Access Holdings has appointed Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede as its chairman, a role he assumes after serving as the inaugural CEO of Access Bank, the group’s commercial banking arm before its transition into a holding company.
Together with Herbert Wigwe, Aig-Imoukhuede acquired Access Bank in 2002, leading its transformation into Nigeria’s largest lender by market value.
During his tenure from the acquisition until 2013, Aig-Imoukhuede steered the bank’s affairs, with support from Mr. Wigwe, the managing director of Access Holdings, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in the US last month at the age of 57.
In a statement to the Nigerian Exchange on Wednesday, Access Holdings announced the decision to invite Aig-Imoukhuede to lead the governance of the holding company, following extensive consultations with key stakeholders. He replaces Abubakar Jimoh, who had been acting chairman since the passing of former Chairman Bababode Osunkoya in November last year.
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“I am thrilled to be back in active service to the Access Group ecosystem. I am confident that working with our directors, our exceptional team of executives, and our best-in-class banking and finance professionals, we will deliver outstanding value to our esteemed stakeholders,” Aig-Imoukhuede commented.
Aig-Imoukhuede holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Benin, graduating in 1986. He began his career as a lawyer at Continental Merchant Bank in 1988. In 1991, he joined the newly established Guaranty Trust Bank, rising through the ranks to become an executive director at the age of 36.
From 2014 to 2017, he served as the President of the Nigerian Exchange (formerly the Nigerian Stock Exchange). Aig-Imoukhuede led Access Bank’s acquisition of the defunct Intercontinental Bank in 2012, a strategic move that expanded the bank’s branch network by 309.
