Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Dr. Herbert Wigwe, says the bank aims to become one of the Top 5 in Africa by 2027.
Wigwe told journalists in Lagos yesterday that Access bank, which had risen to the top position in Nigeria, planned to become one of the most respected on the continent.
He said: “We’re like number 12 on the continent today, and we hope to be close to number five by 2027,” adding that the bank has never failed to meet its aspirations in terms of growth in its 20-year history.
He assured that the bank’s projection for 2027 would be pursued aggressively and be met, as it regionalises its presence on the continent with offices in Ghana, Nairobi, Botswana, South Africa and Nigeria.
He noted that after 20 years, the lender was moving to another level, to a much more diversified institution as a Holding Company, with the bank as one of its subsidiaries in line with the changing times in which it aims to be Africa’s inspiration to the world.
We are deeply convinced that their skills will no doubt continue to add significant value to our bank’s quest to become Africa’s Gateway to the World.
According to Wigwe, who is transiting to the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings Plc,: “Banking is changing at a faster pace than we can imagine,” especially as technology is changing all things.
He argued that anyone that failed to change with the trends would suddenly wake up one day to find out he had no business anymore, and as such, Access Bank was creating strong digital technology in line with its growth, to ensure efficient service delivery.
He said the bank would continue to support the government in making the economy better, just as it played a major role in the formation of CACOVID to intervene at the height of the pandemic.
Access Holdings Board had on Monday announced board changes in its banking subsidiary, Access Bank Plc, which saw Roosevelt Ogbonna, appointed as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, according to a statement signed by the Group Company Secretary Sunday Ekwochi,.
The statement said the appointment underscores the effectiveness of the Group’s robust succession planning arrangement, and follows the promotion of the incumbent, Wigwe, as the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings Plc.
It also announced the appointment of Victor Etuokwu, as Deputy Managing Director, Retail North; and Chizoma Okoli, as Deputy Managing Director, Retail South.
The three appointments had been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), effective May 2.
It also announced the resignation of Adeolu Bajomo as Executive Director, Information Technology and Operations, effective September 30, following his decision to pursue other personal interests.
Commenting, the Board Chairman, Bababode Osunkoya, said: “the new appointments reflect the robustness of our leadership succession plan, and our decision to considerably strengthen our retail business while harnessing the potential of SMEs and financial inclusion towards the attainment of the Group’s strategy.
“The appointees have been selected based on their exceptionally rich, professional, academic, and corporate board experiences, which are all relevant to the needs of our board.
“We are deeply convinced that their skills will no doubt continue to add significant value to our bank’s quest to become Africa’s Gateway to the World.”
