Access Bank CEO Reels Out Expansion Plans

Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe has disclosed that the financial institution is making sure that they have a strong presence in all the major trade centres in Africa and beyond as part of their expansion plans.
He made this known when he was interviewed on CNN’s First Move with Julia Chatterley.
In his words, he said “It’s something that we’ve been looking at as part of our corporate strategic planning since 2017, and the whole idea has been to support our correspondent banking business. We also want to support our payments business and to basically ensure that there is greater trade within the continent.
“We’re also basically making sure that we have a strong presence in all the major trade centres in the continent.”
He also explained how the company is balancing needs with digitization, and it’s efforts to provide financial services to women.
Speaking on Access Bank’s outlook for 2022,he said “I think we’re on track. I think in terms of profitability our different franchises are doing exceedingly well. And I think 2022 perhaps is actually going to be a big, big year for the institution.”
Speaking on how Access Bank is supporting women, Wigwe said, “In 2014, we created the W-program which is a more robust program, and it’s about inspiring, it’s about connecting and it’s also about empowering women. Right from the professional lady who perhaps whether they’re seeking re-entry, or their businesswoman who needs to be supported or the more – more you know sophisticated businessperson who is thinking about succession and wants a bank that can help them. All of those things were provided. We took it deeper and deeper into maternal health care schemes. Schemes that no other institution in the world have basically looked at. It’s the reason we won several, several awards.”
Explaining how it is empowering women in Nigeria, he stated, “Coming back to Nigeria, and what it has done for women, half of our customer base today are women, all right. And because they know that they will be served by Access. And if they needed financing, they will be supported by Access. Most times, they have gotten the money, it’s about supporting them with respect to various programs that would help educate them on what to do, how to grow their businesses, all of those type of things. So, that is what has made us so different and the fact that most women would rather bank with Access than anywhere else.”