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Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has revealed that a food business he started with akara and bread was generating at least N10 million monthly before he ventured into politics.

Eno said his experience in the business demonstrated how a modest venture could be developed into a substantial enterprise through innovation and patronage.

The governor’s disclosure during the state’s monthly covenant prayer service, was triggered by comments from First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who had encouraged Nigerians to consider petty businesses, including akara, roasted corn and kuli kuli, as avenues for improving livelihoods.

Gov Eno , reflecting on his entrepreneurial experience before he entered public office, said that he initially sold akara and bread, which he branded “Akara Burger”, before expanding the venture into a coffee shop.

According to him, the business attracted strong patronage from workers, especially those heading to ExxonMobil in the morning.

He said customers would buy the akara and bread combination alongside coffee before proceeding to work, helping the business grow into a major source of income.

“At a point, that business was making not less than N10 million every month,” Eno said.

• A farmer carrying harvested banana / FAO

The global forest sector provides employment for approximately 42 million people, spanning activities within forests as well as industries, services and supply chains dependent on forest resources, a new international study has revealed.

The study was jointly conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Thünen Institute of Forestry of Germany.

According to the report, the 42 million jobs are distributed across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania, highlighting the forest sector’s significant contribution to global employment and livelihoods.

FAO said the new data provides an important basis for understanding the human dimension of forests, noting that previous estimates were hampered by fragmented data and incomplete country coverage.

“Until now, however, fragmented data and incomplete country coverage have left significant gaps in the global picture – and no breakdown by gender,” FAO said.

The organisation noted that discussions about forests often focus on their products and environmental benefits, while their role as workplaces and sources of livelihoods receives comparatively less attention.

“When we talk about forests, we tend to focus on what they provide – wood, non-wood forest products, raw materials, and the foundation of a sustainable bioeconomy. Rarely do we talk about them as workplaces. And rarer still do we ask who, exactly, works in them,” FAO stated.
The agency stressed that reliable employment data is critical to the development of policies aimed at building a sustainable and inclusive green economy.
It said internationally comparable data on forest-sector employment would enable governments and policymakers to better understand the people whose livelihoods depend on forests and develop policies that protect both workers and forest resources.
Beyond employment, forests provide ecosystem services that are vital to environmental sustainability and economic development. They also supply renewable resources that form the foundation of emerging sustainable bioeconomies.