LAGOS: A brief exchange between United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, and a female graduate trainee has sparked widespread debate online after the trainee addressed the billionaire businessman simply as “Tony” during an interactive session at a UBA event.
The incident occurred during the 2026 UBA Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) graduation ceremony, where young professionals gathered to mark the completion of the bank’s management development programme.
In a video from the event circulating widely on social media, the female trainee stood up to address Elumelu and began by saying, “Good morning, Tony.”
Elumelu initially appeared to mishear her and responded, “Toyin? Toyin?”
When she clarified that she had said “Tony,” the UBA chairman interrupted and made it clear that he did not want to be addressed by his first name.
“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 young woman immediately corrected herself and addressed him as “Mr Elumelu” before continuing with her question.
Why the incident has generated debate
The exchange has since triggered a wider conversation about respect, workplace culture, age, hierarchy and the influence of Western corporate practices in Nigerian workplaces.
Some Nigerians have backed Elumelu, arguing that a formal event involving a senior executive and elder requires an appropriate level of respect and that addressing him by his first name without prior permission was inappropriate.
Others, however, believe the trainee may not have deliberately intended to be disrespectful. They argue that many modern corporate organisations encourage employees to address colleagues and even senior executives by their first names as a way of promoting an open and less hierarchical workplace culture.
Adding another dimension to the discussion, a former UBA staff member identified as II Moses claimed that employees who went through the same GMAP training were taught to use first names when communicating with colleagues.
According to him, trainees were even given examples suggesting that senior executives could be addressed by their first names within the organisation.
He argued that the young woman was therefore “not entirely wrong”, although he suggested that she should have understood the cultural context of addressing Elumelu at a formal public event.
What is GMAP?
UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme is designed to develop young professionals and prepare them for leadership roles within the financial services industry.
The programme combines professional training, practical work experience, mentorship and exposure to different areas of banking.
UBA has described the initiative as part of its wider commitment to developing Africa’s next generation of business and financial leaders.
The programme has trained thousands of young professionals across Africa since its establishment. Previous GMAP graduation ceremonies have brought together trainees from Nigeria and other African countries where UBA operates.
Mixed reactions online
The video has attracted sharply divided reactions.
Supporters of Elumelu say the incident was ultimately about knowing when and how to address people, particularly in formal settings.
One social media reaction described the issue as one of social awareness rather than Elumelu’s wealth or position, arguing that there is a difference between being familiar with someone and addressing them appropriately in an official setting.
Others took the opposite view, saying modern corporate environments are increasingly moving away from rigid titles and that the trainee may simply have followed the communication culture she had been exposed to.
Some commenters also pointed out that Elumelu himself is widely known by his initials “TOE”, making the question of how employees are expected to address him particularly interesting.
A bigger conversation about workplace culture
Beyond the viral moment, the incident has opened up a broader discussion about the changing nature of workplace relationships in Nigeria.
For older generations, addressing an older person or senior executive by their first name can be viewed as disrespectful unless permission has been given.
For many younger professionals, particularly those working in multinational and modern corporate environments, first-name communication is increasingly seen as normal.
The Elumelu incident therefore sits at the intersection of traditional Nigerian respect culture and modern corporate communication practices.
For the young trainee involved, the moment ended with a simple correction. But for thousands watching online, it has become a debate about whether professional respect should be determined by corporate culture, age, position or personal preference.
The video continues to generate reactions across social media as Nigerians debate one simple question: Should employees call their bosses by their first names, or should respect and hierarchy come first?
