Billionaire businessman and UBA Chairman Tony Elumelu corrected a female trainee at the UBA Graduate Management Accelerated Programme 2026 for addressing him by his first name, telling her to use 'Mr Elumelu,' 'TOE,' or 'Chairman' instead. The incident, which occurred at a recent UBA event, has gone viral on social media, sparking debate about respect and cultural norms in professional settings.
Elumelu's correction at the UBA graduate programme
During the UBA Graduate Management Accelerated Programme 2026, the 63-year-old billionaire took exception when a young lady trainee referred to him as 'Tony.' Reacting to the situation, Elumelu told the young lady that she shouldn't refer to him as Tony but instead as 'Mr Elumelu,' 'TOE,' or 'Chairman.' 'You won't call me Tony. You'll call me Mr Elumelu. TOE, or Chairman. I don't subscribe to that kind of oyibo lifestyle,' he gently corrected the leader before allowing her to proceed with her question.
Online reactions and cultural debate
The clip, which has gone viral online, has sparked reactions, with some arguing that the lady was in the wrong for referring to the UBA chairman by his first name, especially since she is a trainee of the bank. At the other end of the argument are those who opine that in private organisations, it's not unusual for persons, irrespective of their age or position, to be addressed by their first name. One user on X, Tosin.X (@Dontee___), wrote: 'My opinion..The lady did nothing wrong. If I guess right she's a graduate of their Graduate Training program. Anyone who once pass through that system knows they're trained to call people by their first name. The way you all are abusing the lady is unnecessary!'
Elumelu's cultural stance and UBA legacy
Elumelu's remarks that he doesn't subscribe to such an 'Oyinbo lifestyle' indicate that he identifies with the common cultural ideal that stipulates respect for one's elders and people in positions of power and authority. Despite running one of Africa's biggest banks and being one of the richest and most popular businessmen on the continent, he still maintains a touch of Nigerian culture and tradition, hence his decision to call the young lady to order. Elumelu shared the clip of the graduation ceremony of the 2026 set of UBA Graduate Trainees on his Instagram page, where he has 2.3 million followers. He disclosed that the competitive programme has now trained over 5,000 young professionals since its launch. Elumelu recently stepped down as the Chairman of UBA after 12 years in the role. His tenure will come to an end on August 21, 2026, while the long-serving Non-Executive Director Emmanuel Nnorom will take over as Chairman.
