‘I made nothing less than ₦10m monthly selling akara and bread’ — Akwa Ibom governor reveals life before politics

• Governor Umo Eno said his akara and bread business generated at least ₦10 million monthly before he entered politics.

• He said he sold an “Akara Burger” by putting akara inside bread and later expanded into a coffee shop. 

• Eno said ExxonMobil workers were among his regular morning customers, buying akara, bread and coffee. 

• His claim comes months after First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s comments on akara businesses triggered debate over small businesses and livelihoods in Nigeria. 

Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has revealed that he once made not less than ₦10 million monthly from selling akara and bread before venturing into politics.

Eno made the disclosure during the state’s monthly covenant prayer service, where he spoke about his entrepreneurial journey and how he started small before building his businesses.

The governor said he started by selling akara and bread from a shop that he still owns, later packaging the combination as what he called an “Akara Burger”.

“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,” Eno said.

According to him, the business attracted workers and residents in the area, particularly people heading to work at ExxonMobil in the mornings.

“People going to Exxon Mobil will buy it in the morning, take coffee. We started coffee shop and then they will take it,” he added.

Eno said the business eventually generated at least ₦10 million every month.

“Every month, that Akara business used to give me nothing less than ₦10 million in a month. Not less than that,” he said.

The governor’s account highlights a part of his life before he became a politician, when he was involved in entrepreneurship and hospitality.

Eno’s revelation comes months after First Lady Oluremi Tinubu sparked public debate after encouraging Nigerians to consider small businesses such as akara and kuli-kuli as ways of improving their livelihoods.

Speaking at a Renewed Hope Initiative meeting with wives of state governors in Abuja in June, the First Lady said businesses such as akara selling could be started with relatively little capital.

The comments drew mixed reactions from Nigerians, with some criticising the suggestion as disconnected from the economic realities facing many citizens.

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She later clarified that the empowerment programme was not limited to akara sellers, saying it also covered people involved in businesses such as tomato selling, roasted plantain, pepper and vegetable trading.

Eno’s latest disclosure has now added a personal dimension to the conversation, with the governor saying he himself once built a business around akara and bread before eventually moving into politics.

The governor, who was elected in 2023, had already established himself as an entrepreneur before his political career. His account of the akara business offers another glimpse into the commercial activities he was involved in before becoming governor of Akwa Ibom State.