Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has landed in hot water after claiming that his akara-and-bread business once fetched him not less than N10 million every month.
The governor’s eye-popping disclosure has triggered a storm online, with Nigerians questioning how a small food business could have generated such a huge monthly income.
Eno made the revelation while recounting his journey as an entrepreneur before entering politics.
According to him, he started by selling akara and bread, which he packaged as an “akara burger” for workers heading to their offices, including employees of oil giant ExxonMobil.
He said the venture later expanded into a coffee shop, with workers patronising the business in the mornings.
Eno said the business was so profitable that it brought him at least N10 million every month.
But the claim immediately raised eyebrows.
The governor did not explain whether the N10 million referred to gross sales, turnover or actual profit, nor did he disclose the volume of akara and bread sold, the number of customers served daily or how many outlets were involved.
One social media critic, Emmanuel Udombon, attempted to put the figure into perspective, noting that if N10 million represented monthly profit, it would amount to roughly N333,000 every day.
At a hypothetical N100 profit per akara, he calculated that more than 3,300 pieces would have to be sold daily to reach that figure — before considering the cost of beans, oil, fuel, labour and other expenses.
The governor’s claim has also drawn sarcastic reactions from Nigerians who wondered why anyone would abandon such a lucrative venture for politics.
One X user, Daniel Regha, mocked the governor, suggesting that if akara and bread were indeed generating millions every month, leaving the business for politics was hardly a financially attractive move.
Another user questioned whether politicians had suddenly discovered the same akara business as a route to extraordinary wealth.
Others were more blunt, accusing the governor of exaggeration and demanding an explanation of how the business achieved the reported monthly figure.
AKARA CONTROVERSY
Eno’s comment has also revived an earlier controversy over akara as an economic survival strategy.
In June, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu came under fire after encouraging Nigerians, particularly women and vulnerable citizens, to consider small businesses such as akara, roasted corn and kulikuli.
She made the remarks while discussing empowerment programmes under the Renewed Hope Initiative, saying beneficiaries were being given grants rather than loans to start small businesses.
The comments sparked criticism from some Nigerians who felt that suggesting petty food businesses amid rising economic hardship trivialised the difficulties facing households.
Tinubu later defended the initiative, stressing that her empowerment efforts went beyond akara and included support for traders in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and other areas.
Against that backdrop, Eno’s revelation that an akara-and-bread venture once earned him at least N10 million monthly has added fresh fuel to the debate.
For now, the big question dominating the backlash is simple:
How many akara burgers did the governor have to sell every day to make N10 million a month?
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