Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has revealed that his akara and bread business generated at least N10 million monthly before he entered politics.
Eno shared the story while speaking about his entrepreneurial journey. He said he started by selling akara and bread before expanding into a coffee shop.
The governor said the business attracted people heading to work in the morning. Some of his customers worked at ExxonMobil.
“We had, we still have that shop there and I started selling akara and bread, we were doing bread and Akara burger. People going to work at Exxon Mobil will buy it in the morning,” he said.
Eno recalls his akara business
According to Eno, he later expanded the business by opening a coffee shop. The move allowed him to offer customers more products.
He said the akara and bread business became a major source of income. It generated not less than N10 million every month.
“We started coffee shop, every month, that akara business and bread used to give me not less than N10 million,” he said.
However, Eno did not explain whether the N10 million represented revenue or profit. He also did not provide financial records to support the figure.
Eno’s claim sparks reactions
The governor’s claim has sparked reactions on social media. Some users questioned whether an akara and bread business could generate N10 million every month.
One X user, Kizzyikvibes, described the claim as untrue. The user also criticised Eno’s account of his entrepreneurial journey.
Another user, Newry Edosa, questioned the amount claimed by the governor. Daniel Regha also reacted sarcastically to the claim.
Regha questioned why Eno would leave such a profitable business for politics. He made the remark in response to the governor’s claim about his monthly earnings.
Other social media users also questioned the governor’s account. Some raised concerns about the profitability of the business.
Remi Tinubu promotes small businesses
Eno’s claim comes months after First Lady Remi Tinubu encouraged Nigerians to explore small businesses.
In June, she mentioned akara sales, roasted corn and kulikuli as examples. She said such businesses could start with relatively little capital.
She made the remarks while hosting the wives of the 36 state governors in Abuja.
Remi Tinubu said her initiatives focused on grants rather than loans. The grants were designed to help vulnerable Nigerians establish small businesses.
“We’re trying to give hope and to start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn… somebody even said about grants, you see they’re saying that kulikuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan, we gave it to them as a grant,” she said.
Eno’s account has since sparked discussion about the earning potential of small food businesses. It has also raised questions about how modest ventures can grow into major sources of income.
However, the N10 million monthly figure remains Eno’s claim. He did not provide financial records or independent evidence to establish the amount.
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