Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede marks his 60th birthday as President Tinubu celebrates his banking legacy, public service and philanthropy in Nigeria.
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede marks his 60th birthday as President Bola Tinubu celebrates the banker’s decades of work across banking, financial markets, public service and philanthropy.
The milestone comes with Aig-Imoukhuede reflecting on a career he says has been shaped by one central idea: building institutions, people and opportunities.In a personal message shared on LinkedIn on September 24, the Access Holdings chairman expressed gratitude to God for life, family, friendship and the opportunity to live with purpose.
He described his 60th birthday not simply as a celebration, but as another point in a journey that he believes still has more work ahead.
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede’s 60th Birthday Reflection
For Aig-Imoukhuede, the word “building” has become a simple way of describing his journey.
As he entered his seventh decade, he said his purpose has been to build institutions, develop people, create opportunities and contribute to a stronger Africa.
He also placed faith and family alongside his professional achievements, acknowledging his wife, Ofovwe, their children, relatives, friends, colleagues, partners and mentors who have supported him over the years.
The businessman also remembered his late mother, Pastor Emily, and his longtime business partner, the late Herbert Wigwe.
Looking back at his 50th birthday, Aig-Imoukhuede recalled describing himself as “God’s Work in Progress.” Ten years later, he said that description still reflects how he sees his life.
His message ended with a simple summary of the milestone: “Sixty years. Deeply thankful. Still building.”
From Law to Banking and Access Bank
Born in Ibadan in 1966, Aig-Imoukhuede studied law at the University of Benin and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.
Although he trained as a lawyer, his professional career moved strongly into banking and finance. He worked at Guaranty Trust Bank before joining forces with Herbert Wigwe in a major chapter of his career.
In 2002, Aig-Imoukhuede and Wigwe led the acquisition of Access Bank. Aig-Imoukhuede subsequently became Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until 2013.
The transformation of Access Bank became one of the defining parts of his business story.
His career at the bank also later became the subject of his memoir, Leaving the Tarmac – Buying a Bank in Africa, in which he documented the experience of acquiring and building the institution.
After leaving the CEO position, Aig-Imoukhuede continued working across investment, financial markets and other sectors. He returned to Access Holdings in 2024 as Non-Executive Chairman.
He also serves as Chairman of Coronation Group.
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede’s Financial Market Roles
His career has extended beyond commercial banking.
Aig-Imoukhuede played roles in the development of Nigeria’s financial-market infrastructure, including serving as founding chairman of FMDQ Securities Exchange and later as president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Council.
President Tinubu specifically highlighted these contributions in his birthday tribute, noting that Aig-Imoukhuede had given his experience to the development of Nigeria’s financial markets.
He also serves as chairman of EnterpriseNGR, an advocacy group for Nigeria’s financial and related professional services sector.
These roles have placed him at different points of Nigeria’s banking and financial-market development over several decades.
Tinubu Celebrates Aigboje at 60
President Tinubu marked the occasion with a special birthday tribute issued on September 24.
The President highlighted Aig-Imoukhuede’s years at Access Bank, his financial-market roles and his involvement in public service.
Tinubu recalled that Aig-Imoukhuede became Access Bank’s Group Managing Director and CEO in 2002 and credited him with leading the bank through a period of significant growth.
The President also pointed to Aig-Imoukhuede’s role in public-sector matters. In 2012, he chaired the Presidential Committee on the Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments.
Tinubu further praised the work Aig-Imoukhuede has undertaken with his wife, Ofovwe, through the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
Aigboje and Ofovwe’s Work Beyond Business
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation was established to support public-service reform, leadership development and access to quality primary healthcare.
The foundation says its work focuses on transforming public-service delivery and working with governments, citizens and the private sector to improve outcomes for communities and economies.
Its programmes include leadership development for government officials, support for public-sector reform and healthcare initiatives.
For Aig-Imoukhuede, this part of his journey represents a move beyond building businesses towards strengthening institutions and developing people who can contribute to public life.
That focus also appears in his birthday reflectionAig-Imoukhuede where he spoke about leaving behind institutions, opportunities and lives that are stronger because of the work he has been able to do.
A New Decade, But the Building Continues
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede’s 60th birthday brings together several chapters of his life: law, banking, financial markets, business, public service and philanthropy.
It is also a moment when the businessman himself has chosen to look beyond the milestones.
Rather than presenting 60 as an endpoint, his birthday message points towards another decade of work.
His emphasis remains on building, institutions that can endure, people who can create opportunities and systems that can contribute to a stronger Africa.
As President Tinubu joined his family, friends and associates in celebrating the milestone, Aig-Imoukhuede made clear that his own view of the journey remains simple.
At 60, he is grateful for the road already travelled, but he does not consider the work finished.
