By Peter Amine

A play on Herbert Wigwe, the late Managing Director of Access Bank, is to be staged in Lagos on Dec. 23.

The play produced by the Duke of Shomolu Foundation, is to celebrate the late entrepreneur and development banker who died in a helicopter crash in the U.S.

“It is a powerful and evocative tribute to an icon; it is to be held at the Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre,” Mrs Mofoluwake Edgar, Managing Director of the foundation, said in a statement in Lagos on Saturday.

“Herbert, written by renowned columnist Joseph Edgar, brings to life the remarkable legacy of a man who profoundly impacted Nigeria’s arts and culture sector.

“Through a vibrant ensemble of monologues and storytelling, the play pays homage to Herbert Wigwe’s extraordinary contributions.

“During his influential career, Herbert Wigwe was a pivotal force behind transformative initiatives in the arts, supporting ventures in film, fine art, theatre and music.

“His leadership within the bankers’ committee played a significant role in the renovation of the National Theatre, a landmark project that redefined Nigeria’s entertainment infrastructure,” the statement said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Wigwe, the co-founder of Access Bank, one of the largest banks in Nigeria, was among six people killed in a helicopter crash in California.

Wigwe, his wife, son, and a former president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, were all killed in the crash.

President Bola Tinubu, while reacting to the death of Wigwe, had described it as an “overwhelming tragedy”.

The chartered helicopter was on its way from Palm Springs to Boulder City in Nevada when it went down about 96km (60 miles) from Las Vegas.

According to Nigerian media, the 57-year-old banker was on his way to Las Vegas when the incident happened.

According to the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department, the crash site was near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve.

The weather was said to be poor, with reports of rain and snow showers in the area.

Wigwe founded Access Bank in 1989. It became the largest bank in Nigeria in 2018 after it acquired its main competitor, Diamond Bank.

In recent years, Wigwe had been working to expand across the continent, acquiring banks in countries including Kenya, South Africa and Botswana.

He was planning to open a new banking service in Asia in the first quarter of 2024.

Wigwe was in the process of starting his own educational institute, Wigwe University. It was set to launch in September 2024, in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, where he was from. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Ephraims Sheyin