Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has revealed that he once earned more than ₦10 million every month from a small food business involving akara and bread before he ventured into politics.
Eno disclosed this while speaking at the September edition of the state’s monthly covenant prayer service.
His account of his early business experience has since attracted significant attention after a video of the event surfaced online.
The governor said his business journey started with the sale of akara and bread.
He later turned the combination into what he described as an “Akara Burger”, a simple food product targeted mainly at people heading to work in the morning.
According to Eno, the business was located in an area where workers, including employees of ExxonMobil, could easily stop to get breakfast before continuing to their workplaces.
“We still have that shop there. I started selling akara and bread. Back then, I was doing Akara Burger. We open the bread and put it inside for you. People going to Exxon Mobil will buy it in the morning, take coffee.”
He said the business did not remain limited to akara and bread, as he subsequently added a coffee shop to serve the growing number of customers.
“We started coffee shop and then they will take it. Every month, that Akara business used to give me nothing less than ₦10 million in a month.”
The governor presented the experience as part of his entrepreneurial journey before his entry into politics.
His account highlighted how he began with a relatively simple food venture and gradually expanded his business operations by identifying the needs of his customers.
Eno’s disclosure has also brought fresh attention to the earlier comments by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on petty businesses such as akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli.
The First Lady had earlier encouraged Nigerians, particularly people with limited resources, to consider small businesses as a way of creating income rather than waiting for formal employment.
Her comments generated strong reactions on social media, with critics questioning whether such businesses could provide meaningful income amid the country’s rising cost of living.
She later clarified that the empowerment programme associated with her office was not designed for akara sellers alone.
She said beneficiaries included traders selling tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and roasted plantain.
During a visit to Jigawa State in June, the First Lady disclosed that ₦100 million had been provided to support 2,000 petty traders in the state.
Each beneficiary was expected to receive ₦50,000 to strengthen their existing businesses.
“Because of the atmosphere, what is going on, I’ve told Her Excellency that we’ve already given, donated about 100 million to her to use to empower 2,000 petty traders.”
“And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. It’s not only akara, we also have tomato sellers. We have boole, and those also selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market.”
“We will continue to empower them and add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable. So that is what we are doing.”
President Bola Tinubu later joined the conversation in a lighter manner when he referred to his wife as “Iya Alakara” during a Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House in Abuja.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya alakara,” Tinubu said.
Governor Eno latest disclosure has now brought the discussion back to the commercial possibilities of small businesses.
Unlike the earlier debate, however, the Akwa Ibom governor spoke from the standpoint of his personal experience as a businessman.
He said the akara business was able to attract a regular stream of customers because of its location and the morning routine of workers heading to their offices.
The governor did not, however, provide details about the period when the business operated, the number of customers it served daily or whether the ₦10 million figure represented monthly turnover, income or profit.
