Photo: Nosa Asemota / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
More than 200 people in Bayelsa State have received soap-making training at an empowerment programme organised by a pro-Tinubu support group, according to organisers.
Skills training and political engagement
The Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation, also known as Tinubu Must Stay, held the programme under the theme “Empowering Nigerians for the Better”. It brought together community leaders, women, young people and political stakeholders for discussions on entrepreneurship, grassroots development and the Federal Government’s economic agenda.
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Organisers said the industrial training was intended to give participants a practical route towards small-scale income generation. Those trained were also given guidance on turning soap production skills into commercial ventures.
TMS South-South Zonal Coordinator Ogio Bright Clement said the group’s approach was to pair political engagement with skills acquisition. He urged participants to use vocational training as a path to self-reliance, particularly for women and young people seeking income opportunities.
Concerns over access to federal schemes
The event also highlighted persistent questions about who can access public empowerment programmes, especially in rural communities and among people living with disabilities.
Victoria Okoto, identified as a leader of persons with disabilities in Southern Ijaw, asked how vulnerable residents could benefit from initiatives including the Three Million Technical Talent programme, the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme and CREDICORP.
For more context, read DGBN’s coverage of Why US midterm results cannot predict Tinubu’s 2027 election prospects.
Former Southern Ijaw councillor Ebikebina Comfort Philip also raised concerns about whether government interventions were reaching remote communities effectively.
Ibrahim Uba, the foundation’s Director of Mobilisation and Membership, said residents should engage relevant institutions to establish which schemes they qualify for. The report did not provide independent evidence on how many trainees would subsequently receive funding, equipment or formal placement in government programmes.
Reform debate remains central
A keynote address by Dr Anthony Chukwuebuka Okoye of the Federal University Otuoke considered the effects of the Tinubu administration’s major economic measures, including petrol subsidy removal, foreign-exchange reforms and tax restructuring.
Okoye acknowledged the hardship associated with rising transport costs, inflation and weaker purchasing power. He argued that improvements in revenue, reserves or growth would matter to households only if they resulted in jobs, more affordable food, improved services and stronger incomes.
The programme also featured claims about federal road projects in Bayelsa, including links around Ogbia, Nembe and Brass. Those infrastructure claims were made by the support group and were not independently verified in the report.
Why it matters
For Bayelsa residents, short vocational courses can offer an immediate entry point into informal enterprise at a time when many households face high living costs. But the value of such initiatives will depend on whether training is followed by affordable finance, reliable markets, equipment and wider public services.
Related DGBN reporting includes APC says Tinubu will explain any shortfall on electricity promise.
The gathering also shows how political support organisations are increasingly linking grassroots mobilisation with economic outreach ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections.