Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has revealed that he previously earned at least N10m every month from his akara and bread business before venturing into politics.
Eno disclosed this during the state’s monthly covenant prayer service on Tuesday, with his comments beginning to trend online on Wednesday.
The governor explained that he started the business by selling akara and bread, which he packaged and marketed as “Akara Burger”, before later 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. People going to Exxon Mobil will buy it in the morning, take coffee.
“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.”
Eno said the business attracted several customers, particularly workers travelling to ExxonMobil in the mornings.
According to him, his experience in the business provided valuable lessons on entrepreneurship and the importance of growing businesses from modest beginnings.
The governor’s disclosure comes months after First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, generated reactions when she encouraged Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as akara and kuli-kuli as part of efforts to improve their livelihoods.
Speaking at a Renewed Hope Initiative meeting with wives of state governors in Abuja in June, the First Lady said such businesses could be established with relatively small amounts of capital.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start Akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant.”
Her remarks sparked criticism on social media, with some Nigerians accusing her of being disconnected from the economic difficulties facing citizens.
She subsequently defended the programme, explaining that the empowerment initiative was not restricted to akara sellers but also included tomato sellers, roasted plantain sellers, pepper and vegetable traders.
The First Lady also announced a N100m intervention programme for 2,000 petty traders in Jigawa State, with each beneficiary set to receive N50,000 to recapitalise their businesses.
President Bola Tinubu later joined the discussion, jokingly referring to his wife as “Iya Alakara” during a Presidential Press Corps Dinner.
Eno’s account of his experience in the akara business has renewed attention on the role of small-scale enterprises in creating sustainable livelihoods and building successful businesses.
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