Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has revealed that he earned no less than ₦10 million monthly from his akara and bread business before venturing into politics.
Eno made the disclosure during the state’s monthly Covenant Prayer Service on Tuesday, in a video that began trending on Wednesday.
The governor said he started the business by selling akara and bread, which he packaged as “Akara Burger”, before expanding into a coffee shop.
“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.
He explained that workers heading to ExxonMobil and other offices patronised the business, particularly in the mornings.
“People going to ExxonMobil will buy it in the morning, take coffee. We started a coffee shop and then they will take it. Every month, that akara business used to give me nothing less than ₦10 million,” he added.
Eno said the experience taught him the importance of starting small and building a successful business over time.
His remarks come months after First Lady Oluremi Tinubu sparked public debate after encouraging Nigerians to explore small businesses such as akara and kuli-kuli to improve their livelihoods.
The First Lady later clarified that the empowerment initiative was not limited to akara sellers but also targeted other petty traders, including sellers of tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and roasted plantain.
