Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno says he once earned more than N10 million monthly from a business selling akara and bread before entering public office.

Eno spoke about his experience as an entrepreneur while recounting how he built the business from a shop he said he still owns.

According to the governor, the business initially involved selling akara and bread to people living and working in the area.

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

He said the business later developed into a food offering he described as an “akara burger”, which involved placing akara inside sliced bread for customers.

“We’re doing bread, akara burger. We open the bread, we put akara for you,” he said.

Eno said workers travelling to work at ExxonMobil were among those who regularly patronised the business, particularly during the morning hours.

According to him, the business expanded beyond the sale of akara and bread to include a coffee shop, providing customers with additional 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.

The governor said the business eventually generated significant revenue, with monthly earnings of at least N10 million.

“Every month, that akara business and that bread used to give me not less than N10 million,” Eno said.

“Not less than that,” he added.

The governor’s remarks offer an insight into his business background before becoming the chief executive of Akwa Ibom State.

Eno, who was elected governor in 2023, has previously spoken publicly about his experiences as an entrepreneur and the businesses he operated before entering politics.

His account focused on how a small-scale food business selling everyday products such as akara, bread and coffee developed into a source of substantial monthly income.

The governor did not provide further details on the period during which the business generated the stated monthly revenue or whether the N10 million figure referred to gross revenue or profit.

He also mentioned two individuals during his remarks, but their identities and roles in relation to the business were not immediately clear from the excerpt of his comments.