One of the richest Nigerian business leaders, billionaire Herbet Wigwe, was buried at the weekend after a helicopter that he and his family were flying in crashed in the California desert.
Mr Wigwe, 57, who was the co-founder of Access Bank, one of the biggest lenders in Nigeria, was buried in his hometown, Isiokpo, in Rivers State on Sunday alongside his wife and son, who also perished in the crash.
Two pilots and a former president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange died in the crash.
The burial came after a week-long funeral rites that took place in the country’s commercial hub, Lagos.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, attended the burial, along with other prominent business leaders.
Mr Dangote said he would name the road leading to his oil refinery after Mr Wigwe.
“I feel very helpless because I could not prevent the tragedy that befell my friend, brother and mentee – a very loyal friend for that matter,” he was quoted as saying a few days prior at the memorial.
Tributes also poured in from around the world.
“France has lost a great friend in Herbert Wigwe,” said a representative for French President Emmanuel Macron at the memorial on Wednesday, March 6.
Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima mourned Wigwe, saying: “Herbert left us in winter before the season of bloom.”
Wigwe and his family were on their way to Las Vegas to attend the Super Bowl last month when their helicopter crashed. The San Bernardino county sheriff’s department said the crash site was near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve.
The weather was poor, with reports of rain and snow in the area.
Mr Wigwe, who was sometimes dogged by controversy, was an influential figure in Nigeria’s banking industry.
He 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, he had been working to expand across the continent, acquiring banks in countries including Kenya, South Africa and Botswana.
He was also set to open a private university, Wigwe University. It was set to launch in September.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said Wigwe’s death was “shocking beyond comprehension”.
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