Economic impact
Joined as co-Chief Executive of Access Bank Plc in 2002 following the acquisition and recapitalization of the then-distressed institution; became sole Group Chief Executive in 2013. Oversaw the 2019 merger of Access Bank with Diamond Bank, which at completion created Nigeria's largest bank by retail account count, with more than 29 million accounts; the combined entity held approximately ₦9.0 trillion in total assets, per Central Bank of Nigeria records and Access Bank's 2019 annual report. By the time of his death on 9 February 2024, Access Bank reported total assets exceeding ₦20 trillion and operated in 20 countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Established Wigwe University in Isiokpo, Rivers State, a private tertiary institution that admitted its inaugural class in 2023. He died aged 56 in a helicopter accident near Calabasas, California.