In an interview on CNN’s First Move with Julia Chatterley, Access Bank CEO Herbert Wigwe discussed the company’s expansion plans in Africa and beyond, balancing needs with digitization, and Access Bank’s efforts to provide financial services to women.
KEY QUOTES
Wigwe on Access Bank’s African expansion plans:
“It’s something that we’ve been planning as part of our corporate strategic planning 2017, and the whole idea has been to support our correspondent banking business, to support our payments business and to basically ensure that there is greater trade within the continent. So, for us, what are we doing? We’re basically making sure that we have a strong presence in all the major trade centres in the continent.”
Wigwe on Access Bank’s outlook for 2022:
“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.”
Wigwe on how Access Bank is supporting women:
“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.”
Wigwe on Access Bank’s focus on women in Nigeria:
“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.”
