Tony Elumelu Corrects Graduate Who Called Him ‘Tony’ at UBA Ceremony

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, has sparked reactions online after correcting a female graduate who addressed him by his first name during an interactive session at the bank’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) graduation ceremony.

Key Highlights

• Tony Elumelu corrected a graduate who addressed him as “Tony”.
• He asked her to address him as “Mr Elumelu” or “TOE.”
• The exchange occurred during UBA’s GMAP graduation ceremony on Thursday.
• A total of 374 young professionals graduated from the latest programme cohort.
• Elumelu said the GMAP has trained more than 5,000 young professionals over the years.
• The exchange has generated mixed reactions on social media.

During the interactive session, the graduate began her question by saying, “Good morning, Tony,” prompting Elumelu to respond playfully, “Toyin? Toyin?”

When she clarified that she had said “Tony,” the businessman corrected her and explained how he preferred to be addressed.

“No, you won’t call me Tony. You’ll call me Mr Elumelu or TOE,” Elumelu said.

He also said he did not subscribe to what he described as “Oyinbo life.”

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

The exchange, captured on video, has generated mixed reactions online. Some Nigerians praised Elumelu for clearly stating his preferred form of address, while others suggested that the graduate may have been influenced by corporate environments where senior executives are sometimes addressed by their first names.

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Elumelu Addresses UBA Graduates

The incident occurred during the graduation ceremony for the latest cohort of UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme, which is designed to develop young professionals and prepare them for leadership roles across the bank’s operations.

A total of 374 young professionals successfully completed the latest programme.

Elumelu has previously highlighted the role of the programme in developing young African professionals. He said the GMAP has trained more than 5,000 young professionals over the years.

The programme forms part of UBA’s broader efforts to develop talent and strengthen its workforce across Africa.

The video of the brief exchange has since attracted widespread attention, with viewers debating workplace etiquette, corporate culture and the appropriate way to address senior executives.