Watch: Friends & Family Pay Tribute to Chizoba and Chizi Wigwe

A solemn memorial service was held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos yesterday to celebrate the lives of Chizoba and Chizi Wigwe, the wife and son of the late Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe, whose life was celebrated in a ceremony on March 4.

Chizoba was a legal advisor focusing on corporate law, commercial litigation and arbitration. In 2016, she founded Craneburg Construction, a construction firm responsible for multiple expressways, flyovers and bridges across the country.

Stella Eresia-Eke, Chizoba’s sister-in-law and Herbert’s youngest sister, began the tributes, sharing memories of their close relationship. “Chizoba was my friend, my sister. My parents were blessed with three beautiful daughters, my sister, Dr. Joyce, Peggy, Dupe, and I had a wonderful sister in Chizoba. Chizoba was my sister-in-law, but what happened along the way, the in-law fell off. Chizoba was my sister in love,” she said.

A very close friend of Chizoba, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, also shared touching memories of their friendship.“I found in Chizoba a warm and dependable friend and sister who could be counted on for everything. Her enterprising nature came in so handy when we were both stuck in the UK during COVID-19. She would regularly do drive-bys to my house, her car loaded with food and toilet papers when the shelves of the shops were bare.”

Watch the tributes for Chizoba Wigwe

Similarly, in a separate ceremony, friends, family and colleagues of Chizi Wigwe, including his sister, Tochi Wigwe, paid heartfelt tributes to him, with Tochi sharing her fond memories of him. The senior pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, Jimmy Odukoya, offered words of comfort and hope, drawing from his own experiences to console the grieving family. Ayaan Adam, the senior director and CEO of AFC Capital Partners, shared her experience working with Chizi.

Chizi was an investment professional at AFC Capital Partners (Africa Finance Corporation).

Watch Tochi’s tributes, read by her friend during the memorial

Watch Jimmy Odukoya offer comforting words to the family

Watch Ayaan Adam share her journey with Chizi

Watch the full memorial service of Chizi Wigwe

A combined service of songs will be held on March 7 at the RCCG, Resurrection Parish, Lekki, followed by a Christian wake-keeping at Wigwe University, Isiokpo, Ikwerre LGA, Rivers.

The combined funeral and private internment service are scheduled for March 9.