The Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation (TMS), also known as the Tinubu Must Stay Movement, has empowered more than 200 residents of Bayelsa State through a vocational training programme aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance.

The initiative featured a town hall meeting and industrial training workshop held on Friday, November 6, under the theme, “Empowering Nigerians for the Better”.

Participants received practical training in soap-making, while political stakeholders, community leaders, women and youths discussed economic reforms, grassroots development and opportunities under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The South-South Zonal Coordinator of TMS, Comrade Ogio Bright Clement, said the programme was designed to combine public engagement with practical empowerment.

He urged participants to use the skills acquired to establish income-generating ventures, describing vocational training as an important means of improving livelihoods and promoting self-reliance.

The movement's National Coordinator and Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by its Director of Mobilisation and Membership, Ibrahim Said Uba, commended the Bayelsa chapter for integrating human capital development with civic engagement.

Uba highlighted federal infrastructure projects in the state, including the Ogbia-Nembe Road and bridges, Nembe-Brass Road, Oruma Rigid Pavement Road and sections of the East-West Road.

He also cited road projects linking Otuasega, Obedum and Emelego communities, as well as Ologi, Sangatama and Akipelei, noting that improved transportation infrastructure could strengthen commerce and expand economic opportunities.

He acknowledged that some of the projects predated the current administration but said their continuation and advancement demonstrated the importance of policy consistency and sustained investment.

During an interactive session, participants raised concerns about access to Federal Government empowerment programmes, particularly for persons with disabilities and residents of rural communities.

A representative of persons with disabilities in Southern Ijaw, Victoria Okoto, sought clarification on how vulnerable groups could benefit from initiatives such as the Three Million Technical Talent programme, Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme and CREDICORP.

Former Southern Ijaw councillor Ebikebina Comfort Philip also called for more effective delivery of government interventions to people in remote communities.

Responding, Uba encouraged residents to engage relevant institutions to identify and access programmes for which they qualified.

Earlier, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the Federal University Otuoke, Dr Anthony Chukwuebuka Okoye, delivered a keynote address examining the economic reforms of the Tinubu administration, their effects and future prospects.

He identified petrol subsidy removal, foreign exchange reforms and tax restructuring as major policy measures intended to address structural weaknesses in the economy.

However, he acknowledged that the reforms had contributed to increased transportation costs, inflationary pressures and reduced purchasing power, stressing that their success should ultimately be measured by improvements in citizens' living conditions.

Okoye said higher government revenue, foreign reserves and economic growth would have limited impact on ordinary Nigerians unless translated into affordable food, employment, improved public services and stronger purchasing power.

He identified security, reliable electricity, infrastructure development and accountability as essential to sustaining the reforms.

The organisers said the programme formed part of the movement's broader efforts to combine political engagement with vocational training and grassroots development.