By Staff Reporter
A brief exchange between United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, and a young female trainee at a Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) event has sparked a wider conversation about professional communication, workplace hierarchy and generational differences in corporate Nigeria.
The incident occurred during an interactive session at an event celebrating graduates of UBA’s GMAP, where participants had the opportunity to engage the billionaire businessman and other senior executives.
A young female participant began her question by addressing the UBA chairman casually as, “Good morning, Tony.”
Elumelu appeared momentarily surprised by the address and initially seemed to think the participant was referring to herself before realising that she had called him by his first name.
He subsequently interrupted her and made his preference clear.
“Okay, no, you won’t call me Tony. I’m not those boys. You’ll call me Mr. Elumelu or TOE or Chairman. I don’t subscribe to that kind of Oyinbo life, okay?” he said.
The trainee immediately adjusted her form of address, replying, “Good morning, Mr. Elumelu,” before continuing with her question.
The exchange, though brief and apparently light-hearted, has generated discussion over what constitutes appropriate communication between junior employees or trainees and senior executives, particularly in African corporate environments.
What should she have said?
In a formal corporate setting involving a trainee and the chairman of a major financial institution, a more conventional opening would have been:
“Good morning, Mr. Elumelu.”
Other appropriate alternatives, depending on the organisation’s culture and the executive’s stated preference, could include “Good morning, Chairman,” “Good morning, Sir,” or “Good morning, TOE.”
The important principle is not necessarily that using someone’s first name is inherently disrespectful. Rather, professional communication requires an understanding of context, organisational culture, seniority and the individual’s preferred form of address.
In many Nigerian workplaces, particularly traditional corporate and public-sector environments, titles such as Sir, Ma, Mr., Mrs., Chairman or professional designations are commonly used when addressing senior colleagues or executives.
First-name culture versus traditional hierarchy
The incident also highlights the growing difference between traditional workplace etiquette and the more informal communication style increasingly associated with younger professionals.
In many multinational companies and technology-driven organisations, employees may routinely address senior executives by their first names. Such practices are often intended to create a more informal, accessible and less hierarchical workplace.
But that convention does not apply universally.
In organisations where hierarchy and formal titles remain important, a junior employee is generally expected to observe the established protocol until invited to adopt a more informal style.
For a trainee attending a formal interaction with a chairman or chief executive, therefore, starting with a respectful title is usually the safer professional choice.
If the senior executive subsequently says, “Please, call me Tony,” the junior employee can then confidently follow that preference.
It is also about knowing your audience
Corporate communication experts often emphasise that professionalism goes beyond grammar and vocabulary. It includes knowing who one is speaking to, where the conversation is taking place and what level of formality the occasion demands.
A graduate trainee addressing the chairman of the organisation during an official programme is dealing with a different communication context from chatting with a colleague of the same age or rank.
The safest approach, particularly when meeting a senior executive for the first time, is to begin formally and allow the senior person to determine whether the interaction should become more casual.
A generational conversation
Reactions to the Elumelu exchange have also reflected a broader generational debate.
Some commentators supported the chairman’s intervention, arguing that respect for seniority remains an important part of African social and professional culture.
Others viewed the incident through the lens of changing workplace norms, where younger professionals increasingly favour direct and informal communication and may not regard first-name address as disrespectful.
Both perspectives point to an important lesson for today’s workplace: professional familiarity should generally be earned or invited rather than assumed.
For young professionals entering corporate environments, addressing a senior executive formally at the outset is unlikely to cause offence. The reverse, however, can sometimes create an awkward situation if the executive strongly prefers formal titles.
Ultimately, the exchange between Elumelu and the trainee may have lasted only a few seconds, but it offers a useful lesson in corporate etiquette: when in doubt, start with respect and formality; adapt when invited to do otherwise.
