A brief exchange between United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, and a young graduate has triggered a wider debate over workplace etiquette, cultural expectations and how senior figures should be addressed in modern corporate Nigeria.

The incident occurred during the graduation ceremony of UBA’s Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) in Lagos on Thursday, where 374 young professionals were honoured after completing the programme.

During an interactive session, one of the female graduates began her contribution by saying, “Good morning, Tony.”

Elumelu initially appeared to take the remark lightly but subsequently stopped her and clarified how he preferred to be addressed.

According to him, the graduate should call him “Mr Elumelu” or “TOE”, rather than “Tony” or “Chairman.”

“You won’t call me Tony. You’ll call me Mr Elumelu or TOE,” he said, adding that he did not subscribe to what he described as “Oyinbo life.”

The exchange quickly spread across social media, with Nigerians divided over whether the graduate had breached acceptable standards of respect or was simply following contemporary corporate norms.

Several commentators criticised the graduate, arguing that addressing an older senior executive by his first name was inappropriate, particularly within the Nigerian cultural setting.

Others, however, defended her, saying first-name communication is increasingly common in modern workplaces and does not necessarily amount to disrespect. Some argued that corporate institutions often encourage employees to interact with senior executives in a less hierarchical manner.

The disagreement has consequently shifted the focus beyond the young graduate herself, with the incident prompting questions about where professional informality ends and cultural respect begins.

While some Nigerians believe traditional forms of address remain important, others contend that respect should be demonstrated through conduct rather than titles or surnames.

The debate continues to generate reactions online, highlighting the growing tension between traditional Nigerian values and evolving workplace practices among younger professionals.