Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm after claiming that his akara and bread business, which he operated before venturing into politics, generated not less than N10 million every month. The governor made the revelation on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, during the September edition of the state's monthly covenant prayer service at the Government House Banquet Hall in Uyo. In a video that has since gone viral, Eno recounted how he started selling akara and bread, later creating what he described as an "Akara Burger"—akara placed inside bread—which attracted workers heading to ExxonMobil in the mornings.
The governor said: "We still have that shop there. I started selling akara and bread. We were doing akara burger. We would open the bread and put akara for you. People going to work in ExxonMobil would buy it in the morning, take coffee. We started coffee shop. Every month, that akara and bread business used to give me nothing less than N10 million".
The claim has sparked a wave of sceptical reactions, with many Nigerians questioning the plausibility of generating such a substantial monthly income from a street food business, particularly given the economic context of the era Eno was referring to. A social critic, Emmanuel Udombon, challenged the governor's claim in a detailed Facebook post, breaking down the maths behind the figure. Udombon argued that if Eno was making N10 million in net profit every month, he would need to make roughly N333,333 in profit every day. "Assume, generously, that every piece of akara sold gave him N100 pure profit. He would have needed to sell about 3,334 pieces of akara every single day. At N50 profit per akara, that rises to about 6,667 pieces every day. And remember, we are already pretending that the entire selling price is profit. We have not deducted the cost of beans, oil, pepper, onions, firewood or fuel, labour and other basic expenses associated with producing the akara," Udombon wrote.
He also questioned the period referenced by the governor, noting that the prices Eno described belong to a time when the naira had considerably more purchasing power and ordinary bread and akara were sold for tens of naira. Udombon further linked the claim to earlier remarks by the governor, citing a March claim that Akwa Ibom had stopped receiving 13% derivation from September 2025, which he said contradicted FAAC records showing N119.82 billion received between September and December 2025.
"This is why I find the governor's latest akara story deeply insulting to the intelligence of Akwa Ibom people. We are not questioning his right to tell his personal story. We are questioning the numbers," Udombon said. He demanded that the governor clarify whether the figure was turnover rather than profit, or if it covered several businesses.
The backlash has also revived the controversial statement of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who recently suggested that poor Nigerians and youths start small-scale, low-capital businesses like selling akara using government grants rather than loans. Many social media users have drawn connections between the two statements, with some accusing politicians of using the experiences of poor Nigerians as testimony while others questioned why Eno would leave such a lucrative business for politics.
One X user, @danielregha, sarcastically noted: "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". Another user, @Kizzyikvibes, wrote: "He's lying and he knows it. No akara and bread shop in this country has ever pulled N10m a month, not then and not now".
The controversy has also drawn attention to Eno's failure to provide further details, such as how many akara balls and loaves of bread were sold, how many customers were served daily, or whether the N10 million represented revenue or profit. As the debate continues, many Nigerians are demanding receipts, with some calling for the governor to provide bank deposits and proof of his extraordinary claim.
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