Herbert Wigwe

Herbert is a banker and entrepreneur whose career in financial services has spanned more than 25 years.

Under his leadership, Access Bank plc has grown from a small commercial bank into one of Africa’s largest banks, with over 10 million account holders and 400 branches across Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the UK. As one of Nigeria’s foremost corporate bankers, Herbert has helped develop some of Africa’s most successful companies in the construction, telecommunications, energy, oil, and gas sectors.

Herbert’s flair for sustainable banking has seen Access Bank receive numerous global accolades, positioning the bank as a leader in corporate social responsibility. Access Bank became the first financial institution in Africa to win the prestigious Karlsruhe Sustainability Award, for three years running, in recognition of its outstanding success in incorporating social and environmental concerns into its corporate strategy and business processes.

Chevening is a benchmark for the pursuit of excellence.

How do you feel your Chevening experience has influenced where you are now?

The scholarship and the academic programme at University College of North Wales greatly influenced my career by helping me to develop deep insights into finance and development banking. The programme was extremely rigorous and it equipped me with significant self-discipline, which can be applied to the pursuit of any endeavour.

What does Chevening mean to you?

Chevening is a benchmark for the pursuit of excellence.

What message would you share with the next generation of Chevening Scholars?

This scholarship is one that I and my fellow alumni take great pride in having been awarded. I consider the Chevening Award to be one of the most prestigious awards available for scholars.

All scholars should ensure they make the very best of the opportunity, by applying themselves wholeheartedly to both university and off-campus experiences.

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