Media entrepreneur and EbonyLife chief executive, Mo Abudu, has weighed in on the growing debate over workplace etiquette and the extent to which younger people should use first names when addressing older or more senior colleagues.
Speaking during an appearance on Toke Moments, hosted by media personality Toke Makinwa, Abudu said her upbringing had instilled in her a strong sense of respect for age and seniority.
The media mogul explained that she was raised in a traditional environment in Ondo by her grandmother, an experience she said continues to influence her expectations about how people should address those older or more senior than themselves.
“I am very traditional. I was brought up in Ondo by my grandmother. You can’t be calling me by my first name anyhow. I won’t take it,” she said.
Abudu’s comments come against the backdrop of renewed discussions in Nigeria about formalities in professional settings, particularly over whether younger employees should address senior executives by their first names.
The issue recently attracted public attention after a trainee at a UBA Graduate Management Accelerated Programme ceremony addressed the bank’s Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, simply as “Tony”.
Elumelu corrected the trainee and asked her to address him more formally, sparking conversations online and in professional circles about generational expectations, workplace culture and changing attitudes towards hierarchy.
For Abudu, respect remains an important part of interpersonal and professional communication, particularly where differences in age, experience and position exist.
Her remarks reflect the view held by some Nigerians that modern workplace informality should not completely erase traditional expectations around courtesy and seniority. Others, however, have argued that first-name address can encourage a more relaxed and egalitarian workplace culture, particularly in organisations influenced by international corporate practices.
Beyond the question of workplace etiquette, Abudu also spoke about the different standards often applied to successful men and women.
She argued that women who display confidence, ambition and assertiveness in business can sometimes be described negatively for exhibiting qualities that would be celebrated in men.
According to her, the same aggressive or highly competitive business approach may attract admiration when demonstrated by a male executive but be viewed differently when demonstrated by a woman.
“If I was a man, they wouldn’t say I was a shark,” she said.
Her comments highlight the continuing conversation around gender expectations in corporate leadership, where women in senior positions can face scrutiny over their leadership style and ambition in ways their male counterparts may not.
Abudu, who has built a prominent career in media and entertainment, has frequently spoken about leadership, entrepreneurship and the challenges facing women seeking to succeed in competitive professional environments.