Category: Nigerian Tribune

The common belief that sweat itself smells bad is completely false. Fresh sweat released by your skin is completely odorless. The offensive odor only develops when microscopic organisms living on your skin surface start feeding on particular components within your perspiration.

In this article, Tribune Online examines the biological roots of severe body odor and explores the clinical, science-backed natural routines necessary to stop it permanently.

The biological truth behind sweat and bacteria

The human body possesses two distinct varieties of sweat glands: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands cover almost the entire body and secrete a clear, watery fluid mainly composed of water and common salt to help cool your skin when temperatures spike.

Apocrine glands, on the other hand, reside primarily in hair-dense zones like your armpits and groin. These glands release a thicker fluid loaded with proteins, fats, and lipids.

According to clinical reports from the Mayo Clinic, body odor arises when resident skin bacteria, particularly strains known as Staphylococcus hominis, break down these rich apocrine proteins into sulfurous chemical compounds called thioalcohols. These thioalcohols create the sharp, pungent scent people commonly identify as body odor.

Step one: Targeted antibacterial cleansing

Washing the body with regular perfumed beauty soaps only masks the problem temporarily. To stop odor at its foundation, you must drastically reduce the bacterial population living in odor-prone regions.

Switching to a mild antiseptic soap or a natural wash containing tea tree oil makes an immediate difference. Pure tea tree oil contains concentrated terpinen-4-ol, an organic compound celebrated in dermatological studies for weakening bacterial cell walls and arresting bacterial reproduction without stripping the skin raw.

When bathing, work the cleanser into a generous lather and allow it to sit on the armpits and groin for at least sixty seconds before rinsing. This contact time ensures the natural antibacterial agents actively disable odor-causing bacteria rather than washing away down the drain immediately.

Step two: Altering the skin pH with natural acids

Bacteria thrive exclusively in warm, neutral-to-alkaline environments. When skin stays slightly acidic, odor-producing microbes struggle to survive or metabolize sweat proteins effectively.

Applying diluted apple cider vinegar or witch hazel onto clean, dry skin acts as a natural biochemical shield. Pure apple cider vinegar contains mild acetic and malic acids that balance the natural acid mantle of the skin, bringing the surface pH down to an inhospitable zone for Staphylococcus.

Dab a small amount of diluted organic vinegar on a clean cotton pad and gently sweep it across the underarms after drying off from the shower. Allow the liquid to air-dry completely; the sharp vinegar aroma evaporates within minutes, leaving behind an invisible protective shield against microbial breakdown.

Step three: Moisture management with natural starches

Bacteria need sustained moisture to multiply and feast. In our warm and humid climate, moisture easily accumulates in skin folds and under synthetic fabrics.

Instead of relying on conventional commercial antiperspirants loaded with aluminum chlorohydrate, dusting the underarms with food-grade arrowroot powder or pure cornstarch keeps skin dry naturally. These pure starches absorb excess moisture without clogging pores or triggering painful inflammation in delicate armpit tissue.

For an extra layer of odor defense, mix arrowroot powder with a pinch of baking soda. Baking soda neutralizes acidic odor compounds immediately, though individuals with sensitive skin should use it sparingly to avoid minor irritation.

Step four: Fabric selection and wardrobe hygiene

Personal hygiene extends directly to what touches the skin daily. Man-made synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon do not absorb sweat, which forces moisture to remain trapped against the body and creates an ideal breeding ground for bacteria.

Natural fibers like 100% cotton and linen allow air to circulate freely around the torso, helping sweat evaporate rapidly before bacteria can start decomposing it.

Furthermore, bacteria embed themselves deeply within the weave of tight synthetic clothing. Washing garments with warm water and adding a splash of white vinegar to the rinse cycle sterilizes fabrics, ensuring yesterday’s bacterial colonies are not transferred right back onto freshly cleaned skin.

By addressing the bacterial breakdown of sweat rather than simply masking the scent with perfumes, you eliminate the true source of chronic body odor and maintain fresh, natural confidence throughout the day.

A March 2026 study published by Harvard Business Review found that certain patterns of AI use can contribute to cognitive fatigue, with workers reporting symptoms including mental fog, difficulty concentrating, slower decision-making and headaches.

The study, conducted by researchers from Boston Consulting Group and other institutions, surveyed 1,488 full-time workers in the United States.

What is AI brain fry?

The researchers describe AI brain fry as mental fatigue that occurs when people use or oversee AI tools beyond what their cognitive capacity can comfortably handle.

The problem is not necessarily asking an AI tool to draft an email, summarise a document or generate ideas.

Instead, much of the strain comes from overseeing AI output, checking whether it is accurate, correcting mistakes, monitoring multiple streams of information and deciding what can be trusted.

Imagine reading a report written by a colleague compared with reading one that you have to fact-check sentence by sentence. Both require attention, but the second demands considerably more mental effort.

AI oversight can create a similar burden.

The numbers behind AI fatigue

About 14% of US knowledge workers already report experiencing this fog-like fatigue.

In marketing departments specifically, that number jumps to 26 percent, likely because marketing roles often involve juggling the most AI tools at once. Workers affected reported more mistakes at work, slower decision-making, and a noticeably higher urge to quit their jobs entirely.

One researcher on the study, Julie Bedard of BCG, put it simply: the AI can move far ahead of us, but people are still working with the same brain they had yesterday.

Why using several AI tools can become exhausting

It seems obvious that more AI tools should mean more help. The data says otherwise.

Productivity actually peaks when someone uses just one to three AI tools regularly. Once a person is juggling four or more tools at once, the mental cost of switching between them starts to outweigh whatever time those tools were supposed to save.

Every extra tool adds another interface to learn, another output to double-check, and another place attention has to jump to.

This lines up with a broader pattern researchers have noticed elsewhere too. The average length of time someone can stay genuinely focused on one task has been shrinking for years, and constant tool-switching appears to be making that shrink even faster.

What AI brain fry feel like

The workers studied described experiences including a ‘buzzing’ sensation, mental fog, difficulty concentrating, slower decision-making and headaches.

The symptoms may not look like an obvious workplace crisis.

Instead, a worker may simply finish a normal day feeling mentally exhausted, struggle to concentrate on routine tasks or find it harder to make decisions.

Over time, that cognitive fatigue can affect how people perform their jobs and how they feel about their work.

How workers can reduce AI fatigue

The answer is not necessarily to stop using AI.

The researchers suggest redesigning the way AI is incorporated into daily work. This can include limiting the number of AI tools employees are expected to manage and avoiding workflows that require workers to constantly monitor multiple streams of AI-generated output.

Workers can also benefit from grouping AI-related tasks into specific periods instead of repeatedly switching between AI tools throughout the day.

Creating periods for human-only work can also give workers time to think, make decisions and complete tasks without constantly evaluating AI output.

Why employers also have a role to play

AI-related fatigue is not simply an individual productivity problem.

The way organisations introduce AI can influence how much cognitive pressure employees experience. Managers can help by clarifying which AI tools workers are expected to use, providing guidance on how to evaluate AI output and avoiding unnecessary duplication of tools.

The researchers also point to the importance of workplace culture and managerial support in reducing the effects of AI-related fatigue.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday work, the challenge may no longer be simply getting employees to use the technology.

It may be learning how to use AI without overwhelming the people expected to supervise it.

A political mobilization group, Zee 1 for Yayi, has commenced a door-to-door campaign for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The founder of the group, Ambassador Ayomikun Ibrahim, disclosed this while addressing journalists in Abeokuta on Sunday, saying 400 grassroots canvassers had been inaugurated to mobilize support for the party across the state.

Ibrahim said the canvassers would take the campaign message directly to homes, communities, and rural areas, stressing that securing victory in the 2027 election would require engagement beyond political gatherings and public declarations.

‘The election coming up in 2027. Everywhere you see APC-from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Senator YAYI and all other APC candidates-we must come together and give our full support,’ Ibrahim said.

He highlighted Senator Adeola’s contributions across the state and urged members of the group to intensify their grassroots mobilization.

‘Let us come together and give our full support for YAYI by canvassing from door to door. We must also take the message to rural communities.’

Ibrahim also stressed the importance of Permanent Voter Cards, urging eligible voters who were yet to collect theirs to do so.

‘It is not by singing alone. We can only make use of our PVC to cast our vote. So, let us ensure that those who have not collected their PVCs do so,’ he charged.

In his remarks, a former LCDA chairman and senior consultant to the Ogun State Governor, Hon. Asaluola Abiola, called for unity and coordination among local government leaders.

‘I want to urge all the coordinators in each local government to make sure they carry their members along. We all have to work to ensure APC victory ahead of the 2027 elections. Our collective effort at the grassroots is very important,’ Abiola stated.

Also, Engineer Juwon Adebanjo, Chairman and Consultant of the Commercial Motorcycle Riders Identification Scheme, COMORIS, called for sustained civic education on voter registration and the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.

Key stakeholders in the group, including Mr Owolabi Otubu from Odogbolu, Abeokuta North women’s leader, Mrs Kehinde Kazeem, and group leader, Mr Ayo Popoola, pledged their commitment to the mobilization exercise.

They said the canvassers would engage families, community networks, and other grassroots stakeholders as part of efforts to mobilise support across Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Imo State Government has disclosed its position on the abduction of 19 NYSC members in the state, which occurred five days ago along the Owerri-Onitsha Road.

The Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Enlightenment and Strategy, Hon. Declan Mbadiwe Emelumba, told the Nigerian Tribune in Owerri on Monday that the government was not sleeping over the issue.

He said the state government was collaborating with security agencies in the state to ensure the safe rescue of the kidnapped victims.

He said, ‘Of course, you know that the government is not sleeping on the matter.’

He assured that the kidnapped victims would soon be released unharmed.

The removal of the fuel subsidy has enabled the Federal Government to raise about $500m for the reconstruction of the Lagos airport and other aviation infrastructure, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said.

Keyamo disclosed this on Monday in Lagos while speaking at the 67th anniversary of Aero Contractors Airline, where he highlighted the investments made in the aviation sector under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Responding to a question on the state of the industry under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the minister said the funds for the infrastructure projects were not obtained through borrowing.

According to him, the administration’s economic reforms had improved Nigeria’s liquidity and strengthened its foreign reserves, creating conditions that made it easier to attract capital for major infrastructure projects.

‘The President raised $500m to rebuild the Lagos airport. Not money borrowed, because we were able to do what we should do. Our liquidity rose. Our foreign reserves also rose from $3bn to $56bn now,’ Keyamo said.

He added that improved economic conditions had also increased investor confidence in Nigeria, with more investors showing interest in the country.

Defending the administration’s position, the minister argued that stronger macroeconomic indicators and foreign reserves were necessary to attract the investment required to expand infrastructure and create employment.

He dismissed arguments that improved foreign reserves offered little relief to Nigerians facing economic hardship, describing such criticism as an attempt to exploit public sentiment.

‘People say, ‘What will foreign reserves do for the economy? People are hungry.’ You know, this is the cheap talk they engage in to play on cheap sentiment,’ he said.

Keyamo maintained that Nigeria’s priority should be to create an environment capable of attracting investors who can bring capital, build infrastructure and generate employment.

He said sustainable employment could not be achieved through government declarations alone, stressing that jobs were ultimately driven by investment and infrastructure development.

‘Jobs don’t fall from heaven, jobs come as a result of either the infrastructure you are building or investments. That is how jobs are created,’ he said.

Beyond the Lagos airport reconstruction, Keyamo said the administration was pursuing other major aviation infrastructure projects across the country.

He disclosed that Tinubu had approved the return of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to the Abuja airport project to construct the long-awaited second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

‘The President is not only stopping at rebuilding Lagos International Airport. Mr President has also approved that CCECC go back to build the second runway in Abuja now,’ he said.

The minister recalled that the Abuja runway project had previously stalled following concerns over its cost. He said the project was estimated at about N45bn when it was initially proposed, but opposition to the expenditure contributed to the delay.

Keyamo said the cost had since risen substantially, with the project now estimated at nearly N500bn.

‘The National Assembly fought that project because they said that N45bn was too much to spend on the second runway,’ he said.

He argued that the delay demonstrated the cost of postponing critical infrastructure, insisting that investment in aviation infrastructure would strengthen the sector and support wider economic growth.

Keyamo reiterated that attracting investment, improving infrastructure and creating investor confidence remained central to the administration’s strategy for generating sustainable jobs.

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, does not pose a threat to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, describing Obi as his brother and friend.

Umahi stated this while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he also said his position on integrating the South-East into the mainstream of the country had remained unchanged.

‘Peter Obi is my brother and friend. My position about integrating the Southeast into the main stream of the nation never changed as a governor,’ he said.

The minister recalled that while former President Muhammadu Buhari was in office, he publicly urged people in the South-East to support Buhari, despite backing former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in Ebonyi.

‘When Buhari was there I publicly asked the Southeast to give Buhari 25 percent while I gave Atiku 75 percent in my state,’ he said.

Umahi said the South-East should adopt a broad-minded approach to the 2027 election, noting that Peter Obi was not the only presidential aspirant from the region.

‘So my position has not changed; my position is that we should have a broad mind. Peter Obi is not the only Southeast candidate contesting; we have three other Southeast candidates that are contesting.

‘So Peter Obi is not a threat to APC. Talk is cheap and I’m saying what we are doing. I said what I did as governor of Ebonyi,’ he said.

He challenged presidential candidates seeking to lead the country to present evidence of their achievements at the community level while they held public office.

‘I’m saying any of these people that say they want to rule the country should open the video on how they developed their community when they occupied the position,’ Umahi said.

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta has mobilised about 400 support groups for grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 elections, charging them to take the party’s message to voters across the state.

The party gave the directive at an interface with representatives of the support groups in Asaba on Monday, where its leadership urged them to intensify mobilisation, consolidate their support base and align their activities with the party’s structure and electoral strategy.

The State Chairman, Chief Solomon Arenyeka, who declared the meeting open, described the support groups as a key component of the party’s mobilisation structure, saying their numerical strength and grassroots networks could influence the APC’s performance in the 2027 elections.

Arenyeka said the meeting was aimed at bringing the groups under a coordinated framework, eliminating duplication of efforts and ensuring that their activities complemented the established structures of the party.

He disclosed that the party would soon unveil its campaign structure for the 2027 elections, with a dedicated directorate expected to coordinate the activities of the various support groups.

The chairman urged the groups to move beyond meetings and declarations by engaging voters consistently at the grassroots.

He said the outcome of elections was often influenced by the strength of a party’s organisation at the grassroots, citing the 2023 presidential election as an example of the importance of political mobilisation.

According to him, the APC defeated the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level in 2023 through effective organisation and mobilisation.

Arenyeka urged the groups to recognise the task ahead and deploy their networks towards expanding the APC’s reach across Delta State.

Also speaking, the State Organising Secretary, Hon. Emmanuel Egbabor, said the registration and recognition of the groups by the party marked only the beginning of their responsibilities.

Egbabor described the groups as partners in the APC’s political activities rather than parallel structures, warning that their operations must strengthen the party’s established structures.

He urged them to take the policies and programmes of the APC to the grassroots, engage directly with voters and provide the party leadership with information on the challenges and concerns of their communities.

The organising secretary also asked the groups to begin mobilisation ahead of election day by identifying supporters, educating voters on the electoral process and maintaining regular contact with their constituencies.

He cautioned against the circulation of rumours, fake news and unverified information, directing the groups to ensure that information disseminated in the name of the APC was accurate and properly communicated.

The meeting brought together representatives of the various support groups as the party sought to establish a coordinated grassroots mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Eti-Osa Constituency I, Lagos State, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the controversy surrounding the party’s ticket for the constituency ahead of the 2027 elections.

The stakeholders called for the restoration of Hon. Noheem Adams as the APC candidate, insisting that he won the party’s primary election conducted on 20 May 2026.

According to them, Adams polled 7,638 votes against the 1,225 votes recorded by his challenger, Saheed Bankole, describing the outcome as a clear reflection of the preference of APC members in the constituency.

However, the APC’s published list of candidates names Bankole as the party’s candidate for the constituency.

The stakeholders, comprising ward leaders, grassroots mobilisers, youths, women and other party members, urged the party leadership to respect what they described as the outcome of the primary and resolve the dispute through dialogue and reconciliation.

‘Politics is local,’ they said, stressing that the views and interests of grassroots members should be taken into consideration in resolving the controversy.

They argued that restoring Adams’ ticket would strengthen members’ confidence in the party’s internal democratic process and help prevent divisions within the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

‘We seek justice, but we equally seek peace. We seek restoration, but we equally seek reconciliation,’ the stakeholders said.

They appealed to Tinubu to ‘hear the voice of the grassroots, respect the choice of the locals, reconcile our political family’ and help resolve the dispute amicably.

The stakeholders said a peaceful resolution of the matter would strengthen the party’s unity and improve its chances of retaining the constituency in the forthcoming elections.

For institutions from Africa to compete globally, they must be able to see, measure and understand their own reputation, Lead Analyst, Africa Reputation Pulse (ARP), Philip Odiakose, has said.

Odiakose, who was speaking on the recently-launched ARP, explained that the continental independent reputation intelligence and audit infrastructure is designed to make that intelligence accessible, evidence-led and continuously available.

Describing it as the first step towards building a stronger reputation intelligence culture across Africa, Odiakose added that ARP is aimed at also addressing hallucination, a key challenge facing AI- powered research.

He argued that since AI is capable of generating information that sounds authoritative, but without sufficient evidence, Odiakose stated that ARP has come to fill that void by assisting with query processing and retrieval, with evidence, citations, historical records and analytical outputs, subjected to human review and evidence controls.

‘Where evidence does not exist, ARP’s position is to say so, rather than manufacture an answer,’ he added.

He added that the launch of ARP is meant to give African institutions access to evidence-led intelligence on how they are seen, trusted, represented and positioned across media, public narratives and generative AI environments.

‘ARP is not simply a media monitoring or media intelligence platform. It brings together reputation intelligence, institutional auditing, media intelligence, narrative analysis, peer benchmarking, risk intelligence and AI/GEO visibility into a single continental intelligence infrastructure designed to help African institutions understand and strengthen their reputation,’ he stated.

ARP’s intelligence engine is powered by P+ Measurement Services, bringing specialist experience in reputation, media intelligence, measurement and auditing. Its role provides the research, measurement, review and analytical engine supporting the platform.

‘Reputation intelligence must be treated as institutional infrastructure, not an occasional communications exercise,’ said Mildred Kaunda, Strategic Advisor, ARP.

Stanbic IBTC Bank has notified its retail, commercial and corporate customers of changes in interest rates, following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision to cut its benchmark Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 350 basis points.

The bank said the new rates took effect from September 22, 2026, the same day the CBN Monetary Policy Committee approved the reduction in the MPR from 26.50 percent to 23 percent.

The rate cut is expected to affect both loans and deposit products linked to the MPR, according to notifications sent to customers.

For borrowers, the reduction could lower interest payments on variable-rate loans, including commercial loans, overdrafts and mortgages whose pricing is linked to the CBN benchmark.

Commercial banks had previously priced some prime lending facilities at rates of about 27 percent to 30 percent. The reduction in the MPR is expected to put downward pressure on such rates as banks adjust their pricing to reflect the new benchmark.

However, depositors may also see lower returns on some interest-bearing accounts.

Stanbic IBTC said the repricing would affect products on both sides of its balance sheet. While borrowers may benefit from lower rates, customers holding variable-rate savings accounts, fixed deposits and call accounts may see reductions in the interest paid on their funds.

The CBN, at its September 21-22 meeting, reduced the MPR by 350 basis points to 23 percent in its first major rate cut after a prolonged period of tight monetary policy.

The committee also retained the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) for deposit money banks at 45 percent and adjusted the asymmetric corridor around the MPR to +50/-300 basis points.

The move marked a major shift in the central bank’s monetary policy stance as inflationary pressures showed signs of easing.

Stanbic IBTC’s repricing is an early example of how the CBN’s decision is being passed through to customers and the wider financial system.

The transmission of monetary policy through commercial banks is important because changes in the MPR affect the cost of borrowing, returns on savings, investment decisions and, ultimately, economic activity.

Lower lending rates could support businesses and households that rely on bank credit, although the actual benefit will depend on how quickly and fully banks pass the reduction on to customers.

At the same time, lower deposit rates could reduce returns for savers and investors who keep funds in interest-bearing bank accounts and other short-term instruments.

The development also highlights the balance banks must maintain between supporting credit growth and managing funding costs as the new lower interest-rate environment takes effect.