Tony Elumelu, chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), is seen correcting a woman at a public bank event after she addresses him by his first name. In the video reports, Elumelu insists on professionalism and appears to set expectations for how colleagues should address senior executives.
The incident occurs during or around an induction and related engagement for UBA staff, including newly recruited workers. Multiple outlets describe how the moment quickly sparks online discussion about corporate etiquette in Nigeria—particularly what constitutes appropriate formality when speaking to high-level leaders.
While all accounts focus on the same core exchange, the outlets frame it slightly differently: one emphasizes “serious action” and corporate conduct, while others highlight Elumelu’s comments rejecting an “Oyinbo life” approach and portraying the correction as instruction during a workplace training context. The reports collectively present it as a brief but widely circulated reminder about respectful address in professional settings.
