Akara Business Made Me Over N10m Monthly Before Politics — Gov Umo Eno

Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno has revealed that his akara and bread business once generated more than N10 million in monthly earnings before he entered public office.

Eno shared the story while recounting his experience as an entrepreneur and explaining how he developed the business from a shop that he said he still owns.

The governor said he initially started by selling akara and bread to people living and working around the area. The business later expanded into what he described as an “akara burger”, with akara placed inside sliced bread for customers.

“We had, we still have that shop there, and I started selling akara and bread,” Eno said.

According to the governor, workers heading to ExxonMobil were among the regular customers, particularly in the mornings. He said the business later expanded further with the addition of a coffee shop, giving customers more options.

“People going to work in ExxonMobil will buy it in the morning, take coffee. We start a coffee shop, and then they will take it,” he said.

Eno said the business eventually became a significant source of income, generating at least N10 million every month.

“Every month, that akara business and that bread used to give me not less than N10 million,” the governor said, emphasising that the figure was “not less than that.”

The account offers an insight into Eno’s business background before he became governor of Akwa Ibom State. He was elected governor in 2023 after years of involvement in business and public affairs.

Eno did not specify the period when the business generated the stated monthly earnings or clarify whether the N10 million figure represented gross revenue or profit. His account, however, highlights how a business built around everyday food items such as akara, bread and coffee grew into a substantial commercial venture.