A new investigation has linked the late Nigerian banking executive, Herbert Wigwe, to 106 properties in London, placing him among the largest foreign real estate owners in the United Kingdom’s capital.
The report, published by The Londoner, ranked Wigwe seventh on a list of billionaires with extensive property holdings across the city.
According to the investigation titled “Revealed: The Billionaires Who Really Own London,” over 32,000 properties in London are owned by overseas entities, following a recent change in UK legislation compelling foreign companies to disclose their beneficial owners.
The data, compiled with support from Tax Policy Associates, enabled researchers to trace previously concealed ownership structures behind high-value real estate in prime locations across London, including Oxford Street, Canary Wharf, and the Greenwich Peninsula.
Wigwe, who was the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc before his death, was identified as one of the most prominent Nigerian figures in the disclosures.
He died in February 2024 in a helicopter crash in the United States alongside members of his family and former Nigerian Exchange Group chairman, Abimbola Ogunbanjo.
The report noted that many of the properties linked to wealthy individuals are held through offshore companies, particularly in jurisdictions such as Jersey, where ownership transparency had historically been limited.
It added that the newly mandated disclosures have begun to expose the scale of foreign investment in London’s real estate market, as well as the complex ownership arrangements used to acquire and hold such assets.
Since Wigwe’s death, his estate has reportedly been the subject of legal disputes among family members, further drawing public attention to his vast business interests and assets.
The findings underscore growing scrutiny of overseas property ownership in London, as authorities intensify efforts to improve transparency and accountability in the sector.
