EbonyLife CEO Mo Abudu has drawn a hard line on how younger people address her, saying first-name familiarity is not a right. The 61-year-old media executive spoke on Toke Moments with Toke Makinwa and made it clear she will not accept casual “Mo” from people who owe her respect.
When Toke asked if she was particular about being called “Aunty,” Abudu did not soften the answer.
“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.
The comment has set off talk about how Gen Z and millennials speak to older Nigerians. For Abudu, age still comes with a title. She tied that stance to the way her grandmother raised her in Ondo, not to vanity.
She also pushed back on people who call her a “shark” in business. In her view, the same drive would wear a kinder name if she were a man.
“If I was a man, they wouldn’t say I was a shark. They’re going to say she’s an astute businesswoman,” she said.
She added that some people play the victim after they fail to deliver what was expected of them.
On love, the founder of EbonyLife Media sounded locked, saying heartbreak no longer sits on her mind at this stage of life.
“Nobody can break my heart,” she declared.
She would rather date someone her age or older. Respect, she said, is not free.
“You must have achieved something.”
Abudu, born September 11, 1964, built EbonyLife TV, EbonyLife Films and EbonyLife Studios into one of Africa’s most visible media brands. In August 2026 she announced that EbonyLife Place London is expected to open in October, with a cinema for African and Black films plus spaces for food, art, fashion and entertainment.
The interview mixes steel and tradition. She wants the title that comes with her years, the credit that comes with her work, and a partner who has built something she can respect.