You Won’t Call Me Tony; I Don’t Subscribe To Oyinbo Life’ — Elumelu Corrects Young Female Graduate During UBA Ceremony

‘You Won’t Call Me Tony; I Don’t Subscribe To Oyinbo Life’ — Elumelu Corrects Young Female Graduate During UBA Ceremony

In a video from the event that has since gone viral on social media, the young woman was heard addressing the billionaire businessman by saying, “Good morning, Tony.”

Ayoung female graduate has gone viral after the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, corrected her for addressing him by his first name during an interactive session at the bank’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) graduation ceremony held on Thursday.

The exchange occurred during the ceremony organised by United Bank for Africa (UBA) to celebrate 374 young professionals who successfully completed the bank’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme.

In a video from the event that has since gone viral on social media, the young woman was heard addressing the billionaire businessman by saying, “Good morning, Tony.”

Elumelu initially appeared to take the remark lightly, responding, “Toyin? Toyin?”

However, after the woman clarified that she had said “Good morning, Tony,” the UBA chairman explained that he preferred to be addressed as “Mr Elumelu” or “TOE.”

“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 said.

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

The brief exchange, which took place in front of other graduates and guests at the ceremony, has generated mixed reactions among Nigerians following its circulation on social media.

While some users applauded Elumelu for clearly stating how he preferred to be addressed, others argued that the graduate may have been influenced by contemporary corporate culture, particularly workplaces where employees are encouraged to address senior executives by their first names.

One social media user on X, @ibnjaafar1205, said the issue was less about Elumelu’s wealth and more about social awareness.

The exchange came as UBA Group celebrated the 374 graduates of its GMAP, describing them as part of the next generation of leaders expected to contribute to the growth and development of the bank’s operations across African markets.

Elumelu had earlier shared a post celebrating the programme, noting that it had trained more than 5,000 young professionals.

UBA said the latest cohort had acquired knowledge and practical experience that would enable them to take on new challenges and create meaningful impact across their respective markets.

The bank congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to “go forward with purpose, lead with courage, and continue to shape the future.”

The viral interaction has since become one of the highlights of the ceremony, with social media users debating the appropriate balance between informality, workplace culture and respect when addressing senior corporate executives.