Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has claimed that his akara and bread business generated at least N10 million monthly before he entered politics.
Eno made the claim while recounting his early entrepreneurial experience, saying he started by selling akara and bread before expanding the venture into a coffee shop.
According to the governor, he sold what he described as an “Akara burger” to workers, particularly employees of Exxon Mobil.
“We had, we still have that shop there and I started selling akara and bread, we were doing bread and Akara burger. We open the bread, we put akara. People going to work at Exxon Mobil will buy it in the morning,” he said.
Eno said the business proved highly profitable, generating millions of naira every month.
“We started coffee shop, every month, that akara business and bread used to give me not less than N10 million,” he said.
The governor, however, did not provide details on the volume of akara and bread sold daily, the number of customers served, the period during which the business generated the claimed amount or whether the N10 million referred to revenue or profit.
His claim has since generated debate on social media, with some users questioning the possibility of making N10 million monthly from an akara and bread business.
An X user, Kizzyikvibes, disputed the governor’s account, saying, “He’s lying and he knows it. No akara and bread shop in this country has ever pulled ₦10m a month, not then and not now. Coming out to say this after people were told to go fry akara for survival is pure mockery. He’s using poor people’s struggle as your testimony.”
Another user, Newry Edosa, questioned the economics of the business, writing, “Akara and bread, a month, and 10m for the same sentence?? All these politicians and their suffer head mentality wey dem wan use shackle Nigerians.”
Daniel Regha also reacted sarcastically, questioning why Eno would leave such a lucrative business for politics.
“So he left his profitable akara and bread that was fetching him millions per month, to join politics that salary-wise pays less. How noble of him. Akwa Ibom people are so blessed,” he said.
Another X user, Theo Ayodeji, suggested that politicians’ references to akara businesses may warrant closer attention.
“What’s this obsession with Akara business and the APC guys? There’s something they’re not telling us,” Ayodeji said.
Egedi Chang also criticised the governor’s account, writing, “Lair from the pit of hell, politicians will not continue to fool us in this country, if the Akara business was that rewarding, why did you leave it for politics? Èzuzu Ezuzu.”
One user, Mr man (@Cantbuylifeliv2), wrote, “For this lie alone, he deserves better slap! Like who are the people you think you’re talking to? You think the people in front of you are so stupid and uneducated that whatever you say will be applauded!! People need to put them on check make and let them know time has passed.”
Another user, lift (@liftgadgets), said, “I’m deeply embarrassed as an indigene of akwa ibom state. It’s a shame to have this lunatic as a governor.
“Shame to the electoral system of Nigeria, shame to the constitution of Nigeria…”
This_is_me_myself (@TheSleek_Edge) responded sarcastically, saying, “I believe this man, that’s what his children are doing to make money till now, they have branches everywhere. In fact, they’re getting 2billion every month.”
Israel Clifford wrote, “Which kind akara be that abeg talk another thing if akara good waiting you dey do for government house.”
“Which kind lie from the pit of hell be this,” Lotanna Onyejiaka said.
The controversy comes months after Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, urged Nigerians facing economic difficulties to explore small-scale businesses such as akara sales, roasted corn and kulikuli production as sources of livelihood.
Speaking in June after hosting the wives of the 36 state governors in Abuja, Tinubu said her office had focused on providing grants rather than loans to support vulnerable Nigerians.
She said the initiatives were designed to help beneficiaries establish small businesses with relatively little capital.
“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.
