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Herbert Wigwe, group managing director/CEO of Access Bank Plc, has been named the ‘African Banker of the Year’ at the 2020 African Banker Awards.
Wigwe was recognised for several socio-economic efforts, including leading Nigeria’s private sector Covid-19 response.
Under his leadership, Access Bank donated over $2.7 million to support the government in fighting the virus while championing the Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) initiative in Nigeria.
Additionally, he has advocated other corporate climate change conscious business entities across the country to support the Federal Government of Nigeria towards the achievement of 25 percent unconditional and 40 percent conditional carbon emission reduction as agreed at the 24th conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Receiving the award, Wigwe spoke of the need for organisations to embrace the institutionalisation and practice of sustainable banking, saying, “Financing and facilitating a sustainable future for Africa, and indeed the world is something I am most passionate about.
Speaking further, Wigwe said “more than ever, Africa needs us to unite as we seek to improve access to health care, sustainable energy, finance, and improve the standard of living in our communities. I enjoin all stakeholders to be a part of the facilitation of a truly sustainable future for Africa.
The future of our respective organisations and the future of generations to come depend on the alliances we form and the actions we take.”
The Access Bank CEO explained that the bank has taken steps towards facilitating the future, issuing the first-ever Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) certified Green Bond in Nigeria, being a focal point in Nigeria’s fight against the novel coronavirus through CACOVID, among others.
He said through innovative banking initiatives and its underlying sustainability drive, Access Bank would continue to create shared value for all its stakeholders, and strike a balance between competitive advantage and corporate social responsibility.
From his 10-year tenure as the group deputy managing director to assuming the role of the group managing director, Herbert Wigwe has led the bank to grow its balance sheet by 1022 percent from $901 million in 2007 to $19.7 billion in 2019, while pre-tax profits rose to $316 million in 2019 from $21 million in 2007. The profit before tax recorded in 2007 was more than the cumulative profit made by the bank in the previous 12 years. This also marked the beginning of what would be a six-year triple-digit growth trend.
In 2019, the Access Bank group delivered a 26 percent increase in gross earnings of $1.8 billion, from $1.4 billion in 2018 comprising interest income growth to $1.4 billion in 2019 from $1 billion in 2018, a 41 percent growth from previous levels, despite pressures on risk asset growth within the period.
The bank also recorded a non-interest income growth of $355 million (12% y/y). This net effect on operating income resulted in strong profit before tax of $316 million against N283 million in 2018. The strength of the performance reflects a growing franchise supported by digital analytics and improving customer service touchpoints led by Wigwe.
