Chizoba Doreen Wigwe: What you don’t know about the silent trailblazer behind Herbert Wigwe

By Esther Adekanla On Feb 21, 2024

Chizoba Wigwe, not only a devoted wife to Herbert Wigwe and a nurturing mother to Chizi, Tochi, Hannah, and David, but also a woman whose life and career encompassed a transformative journey from legal practice to thriving entrepreneurship, culminating in the establishment of Craneburg Construction, one of Nigeria’s prominent construction companies.

NewsClick Nigeria reports that the renowned business and corporate leader, along with his beloved wife, Chizoba, and their cherished son, Chizi, lost their lives in a tragic helicopter crash in the United States of America.

Who is Chizoba?

In 2016, Chizoba Wigwe established Craneburg Construction, transitioning from her prior career in the legal field where she worked as an advisor, specializing in corporate law, commercial litigation, and arbitration. Following the completion of a master’s degree in International Law from the University of London, she also contributed to the legal board of Access Bank at one point.

Excelling in legal practice, Chizoba demonstrated innovation and a strong business acumen. Her visionary nature propelled her into the realm of entrepreneurship, leading to the establishment of Craneburg Construction—a multinational civil and building construction company located in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. Over the subsequent years, the company experienced remarkable growth, effectively undertaking numerous large-scale projects across the nation.

“Just a few of us knew that Craneburg Construction Company was your baby. You would regale me with stories about size of the contracts your company was taking on and I was amazed at your trips all over the country, executing and monitoring road, infrastructure and building projects,” Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, former managing director, Arise TV, and editor at THISDAY newspaper, wrote in a tribute to the late Chizoba Wigwe.

As one of the biggest and most varied private construction companies in Nigeria, Craneburg Construction takes great pride in having produced over 7,000 jobs in a variety of important industries.

The corporation has taken the lead in overseeing the construction of numerous structures such as buildings, expressways, and bridges. Notably, the Wigwe mansion, an opulent structure located in Queens Drive, Ikoyi, valued at billions of dollars, stands out among these projects, taking nearly two years to reach completion. Reportedly conceived as a familial residence and retirement abode for the Wigwe family, the property was meticulously crafted using top-tier materials, with approximately 80% sourced from international markets.

While the Wigwe mansion stands out as a prominent feature in the company’s portfolio, it is merely one of numerous noteworthy projects.

“It was your construction firm that built the highways, bridges and toll plaza from Lekki Phase II all the way to and within Epe town, making the journey to Ijebu Ode in Ogun State less arduous. It was your construction firm that built roads and flyovers in Ondo, Imo, Adamawa, Ogun, Bauchi, Gombe and other states. You took on airport construction projects, oil and gas, and marine projects like fish to water. Today, Craneburg is one of Nigeria’s largest, diversified construction groups that employs 7,000 people working across all major sectors of the economy,” Nwogwugwu wrote in her tribute.

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The Yaba and Abule-Egba flyovers in Lagos, the 12.6 km bypass road in Okitipupa, Ondo state, the Badeku interchange along the Ife-Ibadan expressway, the Ijebu Ode interchange flyover in Ogun State, and the reconstruction of the Ijebu Ode-Epe Expressway in Ogun State with a flyover are just a few of the road projects in which Craneburg has been involved. The 49.5-kilometer Lekki-Epe Expressway renovation project is the most current and is anticipated to be finished in January of this year.

Craneburg has not only built roads but also buildings such as the bright blue Number One Lagos building (previously IMB Plaza) in the Victoria Island neighborhood of Lagos, the Access Bank branch in Apapa, and the runways at the Anambra and Ogun airports.

Born in the 1960s to well-established parents, Chizoba aspired to be as dedicated and leadership-oriented as they were. Her mother was a senior public servant who worked in the ministry of education, and her father was the late Chief Cyprian Chukwuemeka Nwuba, a chartered accountant who held positions as Group General Manager of finance and accounts at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and African Financial Controller for Shell Petroleum Development Company.

Her upbringing shaped her unwavering dedication and loyalty, which was evident in her interactions with her friends and family.

“Barely a week before you embarked on your final journey to the United States, I called you to introduce you to a friend of mine who wanted to build two multi-storey buildings in Lagos. Irrespective of the numerous projects that you were already handling, you were very grateful and excited at the new prospect and within 24 hours met with her and her team at their office in Ikoyi.

Chizoba, often known as “Chiz Baby” by her pals, would never get her wish to open her own business. In any case, she had left a legacy with Craneburg that it hopes to continue.

“My friend is very sad at your passing but has promised to go ahead with Craneburg Construction as a mark of remembrance of your dynamism and industry,” Nwogwugwu wrote.