Nigerians React As Tony Elumelu Corrects Lady For Addressing Him By First Name

Nigerians have shared mixed reactions after a video showed UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, correcting a young graduate who addressed him by his first name.

The incident happened on Thursdayduring an interactive session at the bank’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) graduation ceremony.

In the video, the young woman greeted the businessman by saying, “Good morning, Tony.”

Elumelu initially appeared to misunderstand her, asking, “Toyin? Toyin?”

After she repeated that she had said “Good morning, Tony,” he told her to address him as “Mr Elumelu” or “TOE” instead.

“Okay. No, you won’t call me Tony. You’ll call me Mr Elumelu or TOE, You won’t call me Tony, or Chairman. I don’t subscribe to that kind of… Oyinbo life, okay?” Elumelu said.

The graduate immediately corrected herself, saying, “Good morning, Mr Elumelu,” before continuing with her question.

The exchange has since went viral on social media, prompting different opinions from Nigerians.

While some supported Elumelu and said the woman should have used a formal title, others argued that she may have been influenced by modern workplace practices where employees are encouraged to address colleagues and senior executives by their first names.

One X user, @ibnjaafar1205, said the matter was not about Elumelu’s wealth but about understanding social and professional etiquette.

“This isn’t about Tony Elumelu being a billionaire. It’s about basic social intelligence. If you are on a formal stage addressing someone in his official capacity, there is a difference between knowing him and addressing him appropriately,” the user wrote.

Another user, @Ms_ronkeh, also criticised the graduate, saying that even in Western workplaces, people do not necessarily use first names without first establishing that level of familiarity.

“Even in the so-called ‘Western world’, your formality should still be by title ‘Mr, Mrs/Miss’. Tony? Na you born am?” the user said.

However, other users defended the young woman.

@WildCoderr noted that many corporate organisations encourage staff to communicate with senior executives on a first-name basis, suggesting that she may simply have been following the culture she was familiar with.

The user  wrote, “Most corporate culture mandates staff to communicate on a first-name basis, and our Gen Zs clearly don’t read the room as well. TO corrected her respectfully though, lol.”

Similarly, @iamkadirii said the graduate should not be judged too harshly because workplace practices differ.

“If she’s a banking trainee, we are used to calling our bosses ‘oga’, ‘sir’, ‘boss’,” the user wrote, adding that some senior executives had previously asked employees to address them by their names rather than titles.

The incident occurred as UBA Group celebrated 374 young professionals who successfully completed its Graduate Management Accelerated Programme.

The bank described the graduates as part of the next generation of leaders expected to contribute across its African markets.

Tony Elumelu also celebrated the programme in an earlier post, noting that it has trained more than 5,000 young professionals.

UBA said the latest graduates had developed the skills and experience needed to take on new responsibilities and make a positive impact in their respective markets.

The bank congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to move forward with purpose, lead courageously and play a role in shaping the future.

Watch the video below;

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