What鈥檚 the right way to address your boss?
...and how do these unwritten rules vary around the world?
Imagine you鈥檝e just started a new job or it鈥檚 your first day at uni. You鈥檙e talking to your boss or teacher, someone who鈥檚 much older, much richer, or much more powerful than you. Do you call them by their first name? Or do you go with Mr, Mrs, Professor, Doctor?
In Nigeria, a video of a young woman being corrected for calling a billionaire businessman, Tony Elumelu, by his first name has sparked a conversation about respect, age and power.
We speak to three Nigerians to get their take on the story and how you should refer to your boss.
Plus our reporter Basma El Atti in Nairobi, Kenya, tells us about the unwritten rules elsewhere in the world.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler, Mollie Perella and Stefania Okereke
Video Producer: Baldeep Chahal
Editors: Verity Wilde
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Broadcasts
- Thu 3 Sep 2026 17:50GMT麻豆社 World Service News Internet
- Fri 4 Sep 2026 02:50GMT麻豆社 World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia, West and Central Africa & East Asia only
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