‘You won’t call me Tony’: Billionaire businessman Elumelu cautions young lady who addressed him by his first name

• Mr Tony Elumelu took exception to a young lady's choice of addressing him by his first name at a recent UBA event

• The billionaire businessman tagged her action an "oyinbo lifestyle" he doesn't subscribe to.

• The video has since sparked reactions on social media, where netizens have debated the correctness of the lady's action.

At the UBA Graduate Management Accelerated Programme 2026, the Chairman of UBA, Mr Tony Elumelu, took a moment to correct a trainee who called him by his first name. The young lady had referred to the 63-year-old billionaire as "Tony", which came as a surprise to him and others in the hall. 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.

The clip, which has gone viral online, has sparked reactions online, with some observing aryging 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 thing, however, draws attention: Elumelu's remarks that he doesn't subscribe to such an "Oyinbo lifestyle". This is a clear indication 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.

Tony 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.