Ex-Bankers Back Lady in Tony Elumelu First Name Controversy

A number of former employees from Nigerian banks have come forward to defend a young woman who faced significant backlash for addressing Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), by his first name. The incident unfolded during an induction ceremony for 5,000 newly recruited staff at the bank. The new employee, while speaking into a microphone, referred to Elumelu simply as 'Tony,' prompting him to caution her. Elumelu expressed his disapproval of what he termed 'Oyinbo' (Western) culture, suggesting she should use a prefix when addressing him.

Following the widespread criticism the woman received on social media, several banking professionals shared their experiences, indicating that many financial institutions actually instruct staff to address all colleagues, including superiors, by their first names. Some even cited instances where individuals lost their jobs for not adhering to this practice.

Daniel Chukwuemeka, a former banker who now lectures abroad, recounted a specific incident: 'When I was working at Access bank, Asaba branch, Aig (the then CEO) paid us a surprise visit, along with his then deputy, the late Herbert Wigwe. During the proceedings, our branch secretary addressed Aig with “sir.” It almost got her fired. Our branch manager had to intervene and defend the secretary by saying she was new to the bank. It was an eye opener for me. Later, I would learn that the practice is common in the corporate world. I would learn that, within corporate spaces, the culture of first-name addressing is employed to create a cordial professional environment among employees.'

Chukwuemeka further elaborated on his tenure at Diamond Bank: 'When I worked with Diamond bank, it was exactly so. We addressed everyone by their first name, including the then CEO, who’s now the governor of Abia state. Oh yes, I said “good afternoon Alex” the moment I walked into his office in Lagos for the final interview, as part of the recruitment process, having been a trainee for a few months at the bank’s Owerre branch back then.' He concluded by mentioning that his students abroad address him by his first name while still affording him the utmost respect.

Adding to the conversation, business leader Modupe Okeowo shared her perspective on X (formerly Twitter): 'I understand it was a class of new recruits; the girl made an honest mistake. I also believe the induction at the training school conflicted her mind, as they are asked to address everyone within the system by their first name. You will genuinely see the struggle in the girl too.' Okeowo also recalled a similar event from approximately 15 years ago during an induction class at Access Bank, where the late Herbert Wigwe reportedly 'disengaged the best recruit (a brilliant girl) in that set for calling him “Mr Herbert” right after passing out from induction training.' Wigwe had stated that such an action demonstrated a failure to internalize the training. Okeowo stressed the importance of teaching 'Situational awareness' to assist young professionals in adapting to corporate culture, reiterating that 'The girl made an honest mistake.'