VIDEO: I don’t subscribe to Oyinbo life, Elumelu schools lady for calling him by first name

UBA Group Chairman Tony Elumelu recently corrected a young woman for addressing him by his first name during an interactive session at the bank's Graduate Management Accelerated Programme graduation ceremony. The exchange, captured in a viral video, showed the woman beginning her address with "Good morning, Tony."

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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 initially responded with a lighthearted "Toyin? Toyin?" before explaining his preference for formality. "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?" he stated. The woman then corrected herself, addressing him as "Good morning, Mr Elumelu," before proceeding with her question.

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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 incident generated considerable debate on social media. Some users applauded Elumelu's insistence on formal address, viewing it as a matter of basic social intelligence and respect in a formal setting. They argued that even in Western corporate environments, familiarity typically precedes the use of first names.

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

Conversely, other Nigerians offered a different perspective. They suggested the young graduate might have been adhering to contemporary corporate cultures where addressing colleagues and senior executives by their first names is common practice. Some noted that certain organizations encourage such informal communication, and that Gen Z employees may not always accurately gauge the appropriate level of formality. Others pointed out that in some Nigerian workplaces, terms like 'oga,' 'sir,' or 'boss' are common, and some executives even prefer being called by their names.

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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.