At the very end of 2016 the Boy´s Brigade in Lagos, Nigeria endowed Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe, founder of the HOW Foundation and Group Managing Director of Access Bank, as their State Patron and he in turn committed to assisting the Brigade by setting aside a house for them to train in and wowed to continue his work in educating youths, including the members of the Brigade to be the best they can be and prepare them for the Nigeria of tomorrow.
Herbert Wigwe is well known in Nigeria as an innovative banker and philanthropist. He has received a number of local and international awards in the financial sector and recognition for his unyielding vision to further the youth of Nigeria and his humanitarian work.
The Boys’ Brigade is a global inter religious Christian youth organization and by choosing Herbert Wigwe, as State Patron for Lagos State Council the organization wants to offer him recognition as a role model in society. The endowment celebrates Dr. Wigwe’s leadership and exemplary carrier, as well as countless contributions to youth empowerment and humanitarian work.
Dr. Wigwe has devoted substantial personal resources and time in youth development through the HOW Foundation and further through the award winning Access Bank School of Banking Excellence, where young graduates go through an intense five month course to empower them and prepare them for the competitive reality of the financial sector.
At the instatement ceremony, which was held in December 2016, Dr. Wigwe was formally decorated as the State Patron in accordance with the provision of the organization’s constitution. His status in the association is seen as a testament to his leadership attributes and strength of character.
During his acceptance speech he remarked “he was humbled by his appointment as a Patron of the Boys Brigade” and added that “nurturing the legacy of Sir William Alexander Smith who founded the Boys Brigade in Glashow on the 4 October, 1883 could be a daunting mission, but he took the privilege of such service as a great tonic for continued support for collective good of mankind”. He has been quoted in saying that he cannot change the world overnight. “But if I can empower even one youth today, tomorrow, they could join me in empowering others…. with time… we could change the world”
The Boys Brigade is a worldwide movement working with millions of children and young people in over 60 countries for well over a hundred years. It’s sure to serve as a valuable platform for Dr. Wigwe to reach out to youths and impact their lives positively. He’s determined to strengthen Nigeria’s Boys’ Brigade structure through his the HOW Foundation, to inspire constructive undertakings amongst youths and young people. The HOW Foundation is inclined to building football field, a hostel and other facilities for the Lagos Boys’ Brigade Council.
Herbert Wigwe was born 15 August 1966 in Lagos Nigeria. He’s a Nigerian banker, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is currently CEO and Group managing director of Access Bank plc, one of Nigeria’s top five banking institutions. He is the founder of the Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe – HOW foundation, which works with youth education encouragement programs and targets causes such as Malaria and prostatic cancer in Nigeria. Wigwe has a degree in accountancy from the University of Nigeria, an MA in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales (now Bangor), an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London. He’s is an Alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Management Program.
