Akwa Ibom state Governor, Umo Eno has narrated how he made N10 million monthly selling Akara and bread to oil industry workers in the state long before his public service stint. He made this revelation whilst speaking at an event recently.
“I started selling akara and bread. We’re doing bread, akara burger. We open the bread, we put akara for you.
“People going to work in Exxon Mobil will buy it in the morning, take coffee. We started a coffee shop, and then they will take it. Every month, that akara business and that bread used to give me not less than 10 million naira.”
Umo Eno’s Hospitality Business
In 1997, Eno founded Royalty Hotels and Recreations Ltd, which later grew into the Royalty Group, with interests spanning hospitality, tourism, catering and other businesses. His company became particularly prominent in industrial catering, including providing services to workers in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The Akwa Ibom State Government says the business at various times employed between 1,500 and 2,500 people.
Eno began his working life in the banking sector after secondary school. He worked with Union Bank, where he had a stint in the Business Advisory and Financial Planning Department. He later moved into the private sector, working with Bertola Machine Tools Ltd, where he rose to become Commercial Director. He subsequently joined Norman Holdings Ltd, where he eventually became Group General Manager, Commercial Services.
Public Service Journey
Eno’s first major appointment in government came in 2004, when then Akwa Ibom State Governor Victor Attah appointed him Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Hotels and Tourism Management Board.
in 2019, Governor Udom Emmanuel appointed him Executive Director, Agricultural Investments at the Akwa Ibom State Investment Corporation (AKICORP) where he was involved in the development of a comprehensive database of farmers in Akwa Ibom and chaired the team that established the Ibom Fadama Microfinance Bank. He was also involved in efforts to revive Akwa Palm Limited and the development of the Dakkada Warehouse/Off-Taking and Training Centre.
Eno was subsequently appointed Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources in the Udom Emmanuel administration. He served in the position for slightly more than a year before resigning to pursue his ambition to become governor.
He won the Akwa Ibom governorship election in March 2023 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party and was sworn in as Governor of Akwa Ibom State on May 29, 2023.
