Umo Eno Says He Earned N10m Monthly Selling Akara Before Politics

Umo Eno, who leads Akwa Ibom State, disclosed that his food venture yielded monthly revenues exceeding N10 million prior to beginning his public sector career. During the state's monthly covenant prayer service, the governor elaborated on his entrepreneurial background; footage from this gathering subsequently went viral and garnered considerable online engagement.

Eno's initial business involved peddling akara and bread to working professionals throughout the state. He refined this concept by merging both items into an offering he called an 'Akara Burger'—a basic sandwich format that generated steady interest among office staff, notably those employed in the petroleum industry.

The operation later diversified to encompass a coffee shop, enabling patrons to obtain drinks with their meal purchases. Per Eno's narrative, this coffee establishment remained in operation at the time he made his remarks.

He presented his trajectory as demonstrating how wealth can accumulate through modest-scale food manufacturing and commerce, treating his early commercial endeavors as instrumental to his subsequent professional advancement. The governor's account elicited diverse reactions across digital media channels, with numerous commentators casting doubt on the revenue amounts he referenced, whereas others analyzed his story through the lens of grassroots sector enterprise.

The video documentation was propagated extensively on digital channels starting in early September.