Access Holdings appoints Agbede as Acting Group CEO after Herbert Wigwe’s death

Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Ms. Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) following the untimely death of its former CEO, Dr. Herbert Wigwe. The tragic incident occurred in a helicopter crash, claiming the lives of Dr. Wigwe, his wife, son, and former Nigeria Exchange Group Chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, on February 9, 2024.

The decision to appoint Bolaji Agbede was communicated by the company’s Board of Directors through a statement dated February 12, 2024. However, the appointment is subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Ms. Bolaji Agbede has been associated with Access Bank since 2003, when she joined as an assistant general. With nearly three decades of professional experience in banking and business consulting services, she has held various roles within the bank. Notably, she served as the Head of Group Human Resources from 2010 to 2022. In 2022, she was appointed as the founding Executive Director, Business Support, a position she held until her recent appointment as Acting Group CEO.

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Bolaji Agbede holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos and a Master of Business Administration Degree from Cranfield University in the UK, earned in 2002. Additionally, she is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management in the UK and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.

The company expressed condolences for the tragic loss of Dr. Wigwe and others in the helicopter crash and emphasized its commitment to obtaining regulatory approval for Ms. Agbede’s appointment.