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The United States Embassy has visited the Arewa Fashion and Food Festival (AFFEST) in Kaduna, as the cultural and creative economy initiative continues to attract growing international recognition and interest.

The visit, hosted by Women Aware of Rights Initiative (WAR), the organisation behind AFFEST, provided an opportunity for representatives of the U.S. Embassy to experience the festival and engage with its vision of promoting Northern Nigeria’s fashion, food, art, heritage and creative talents.

According to the organisers, what started in Kaduna in 2023 has evolved into an international cultural platform connecting Northern Nigeria’s creative industry and cultural heritage with audiences beyond the country.

The festival is expected to be aired internationally across the United States, United Kingdom, France, Senegal, Ghana and the Republic of Benin.

The organisation said AFFEST was created from a desire to change the narrative about communities affected by violence by highlighting their creativity, resilience, talent and economic potential. WAR works with women and children affected by violence and sees the festival as a platform for communities to tell their stories through culture and enterprise.

WAR said AFFEST had grown significantly since its inception, attracting about 300 attendees in 2023 and approximately 800 guests in 2025, while more than 1,500 guests are expected at the 2026 edition.

The 2026 festival, scheduled for 6 and 7 November in Kaduna, will be held under the theme, ‘Rice and Rafter: One Arewa, Many Stories,’ which celebrates food, shelter, culture, identity and community while showcasing the diversity of Northern Nigeria.

WAR described the U.S. Embassy visit as more than a courtesy engagement, saying it offered an opportunity to showcase Northern Nigeria as a region with rich cultural stories, diverse traditions and creative talents capable of engaging international audiences.

The organisation expressed appreciation to the U.S. Embassy for visiting AFFEST and experiencing its vision first-hand, adding that the 2026 edition is positioning the festival as a major international platform for cultural exchange, creative enterprise and storytelling while placing Northern Nigeria on the global cultural map.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr Nyesom Wike, has described the ongoing Apo-Karshi road project as ‘a dream come true’ for residents who have long demanded better access.

Speaking on Saturday during an inspection of the project, Wike commended SCC Nigeria Limited for sustaining work despite outstanding payments.

He expressed confidence that the FCT Administration would fulfil its financial obligations to the contractor.

The Minister also inspected the 14-kilometre Bwari-Kubwa road, which he said is being executed under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the contractor had assured that the road would be completed and handed over by December.

Wike said both projects form part of a broader FCT strategy to improve infrastructure and stimulate economic activity in satellite towns and previously underserved communities.

Linking the infrastructure drive to the 2027 general elections, the Minister argued that completed projects remain the best measure of government performance.

‘What is campaign? See the campaign. Campaign is what have you done for the people? What has the government got to show?

‘It’s not about promises. It’s about showing action, that things indeed will have a positive impact in the lives of the people.’

Wike said more than 10 major FCT projects could be ready for commissioning before 2027, with significant impact on economic activities and daily life in Abuja.

Governor Ademola Adeleke has just won re-election in Osun. As ADC, what is your honest assessment of why the Accord prevailed and what lessons has the ADC drawn from the outcome?

I think the Osun election, more than anything else, is a demonstration of rejection of the All Progressives Congress (APC), that mobilised all the wholesome apparatus of the state, and descended on a small state like Osun as if it were a military invasion. So, the people showed them that you can control government, but you can’t control the minds of the people. And you can’t control what people do in the polling units. So, like we said earlier, the Osun election is a victory for democracy, and it is a victory for all the people who believe that tyranny, whether it is in a democratic form or otherwise, can be defeated by the resolve of the people.

ADC fielded candidates in Osun. What factors do you think limited ADC’s showing in the state?

Well, because everybody’s focus is on defeating APC more than anything else. So, that’s one factor that I believe played the most important role in the outcome of the election for everyone.

Everyone is more interested in making sure that APC lost more than anything else. So, that was the most important consideration.

With Accord winning Osun and APC in opposition there, how does ADC position itself as a credible third force ahead of 2027?

We are not a credible third force because we are the de facto ruling opposition party in Nigeria. Because when you say third force, I don’t know in what context. Whether you are talking about third force in Osun or third force in Nigeria. The Osun election is over. So, you can’t be talking about third force anymore.

You will be talking about the presidential election or the national election now. And we believe that as a leading opposition political party in Nigeria, we stand a better chance of defeating President Tinubu in 2027.

If the 2027 election is conducted exactly like Osun 2026, can ADC win the presidency?

When you say exactly like Osun, I don’t know what you mean. Because there are a lot of things that happened in Osun that shouldn’t have happened. Regardless of the victory and regardless of what happened in Osun, we have to look at all those things that happened that shouldn’t have happened. For example, the excessive militarisation of the political environment. That shouldn’t have happened. And we are also aware that there was a time that INEC stopped transmitting results to the IReV. So, that shouldn’t have happened, especially when they have not given any explanation why that happened. So, it shouldn’t have happened.

The invasion of Osun by all the APC governors shouldn’t have happened. So, what the meaning of your question is, if there is a free and fair election, whether ADC will prevail, the answer will be yes. Because we know that today, Nigerian people are fed up with the APC. They have seen the last of the APC. And they have seen what APC can do. And they have seen what APC has done to Nigerian people in the last three years going to four. You know, the kind of difficulties that the people have faced economically. Nigerians are poorer today, they are hungrier today, they are more insecure today than ever before. So, in a free and fair election, nobody will vote for this APC government because no Nigerian will want this suffering to continue.

Maybe if I can put it in another way. Now, with Adeleke winning that election, is that a signal of what will happen in 2027?

The signal is that Nigerians now realise that with their resolve, that the true electoral power belongs to the people. That true democratic power belongs to the people. That is if there is any lesson from Osun, that is the lesson. So, Nigerians have now realised, if they had any doubts before, they have been reminded that APC can be defeated. That APC is beatable. So, already, people were tired of them, people wanted them to go. But people were telling themselves, oh, maybe we can’t beat them no matter what we do. The lesson from Osun is that they can actually be beaten if people are determined to do what is necessary.

There were allegations of abuse of state institutions and intimidation in Osun. Does ADC believe a level playing field currently exists for opposition parties?

Of course, there is no level playing field. As long as the government can still deploy the institutions of state for its electoral purpose, we can’t call that a level playing field. But what I can assure you is that the ADC will only accept the outcome of an election that is free, fair and credible. We are going to go to this election, we will contest it and we will bring our message to Nigerians. We will tell Nigerians to vote for our party and we will work for it. But if the election is stolen, we will not accept the result.

The ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, on Wednesday told the delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI) that credibility of 2027 must be non-negotiable. After Osun, what specific red flags is ADC taking to INEC and to international observers ahead of 2027?

Well, INEC has to rise above its own limitations and one of which is technology. We must not hear of glitches. We must not hear of any interruptions in transmission of results. You know, that is the most important thing. And all the loopholes that can be exploited to manipulate the election, INEC has to realise that they need to rise above it. Yes, Osun has happened, but we are only cautiously optimistic. INEC conducted itself largely appropriately in the Osun election. You know, it is not perfect, but we are cautiously optimistic because we don’t want to give the impression…we don’t want anybody to tell us that, oh, when INEC conducted Osun, you were celebrating them, why are you complaining now? No, they are not the same thing. And that is why we are insisting that INEC has to continue to do the right. They need to review their systems, their technology, their processes to ensure that it is above board and it can meet all international standards of scrutiny.

IRI noted issues from Osun and Ekiti off-cycle polls. What are the three key lessons ADC believes must be fixed before 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections?

I told you the most important thing is technology, especially in transmission and the collation of results. Because that is where the problem is. It is not actually in the voting itself. It is in the collation of results and in the transmission of results. Everything has to be done in the open. It has to be done seamlessly and transparently. The second one is the issue of vote buying. You know, what happened in Osun shouldn’t be happening in any civilized society where people are actually putting price tags at the number of votes allocated, the kind of money that we heard that APC allocated to that election – 10 million Naira per polling unit. It is only people who have stolen the country blind that can do that kind of thing. So, the issue of vote buying is a crime under Nigerian law. So, why is this thing happening so widely and why is it happening so openly that nobody is able to take any action?

Osun was seen as a test run for 2027. Has the outcome changed ADC’s coalition talks going into the general elections?

No, it’s the APC chairman himself that said that Osun will be a rehearsal and Osun will be a litmus test to them. And we have seen that they have failed the test. So, if anything, the opposition is emboldened. We are confident that with a determined people and a fair election, we are going to defeat them. Because there is no reason any Nigerian will vote for this APC government. I mean, who can claim confidently that his life has been better since President Bola Tinubu came to power? Everybody, if anything, people have been left miserable and poorer. So, no one will want to, is it the people that cannot feed their children or the people whose money can no longer pay rent or school fees or people who are living under constant fear that will say they want this to continue.

What is ADC’s message to Osun voters who chose continuity with Adeleke, and to Nigerians who are looking to ADC as an alternative in 2027?

It is not just Osun voters, I mean we are done with Osun election. So, that is behind us. We are not going to continue to talk about Osun election. What we are interested in is what Nigerians will do. And I am glad that even people in Osun are saying that Governor Adeleke is not in a position to tell them who to vote for in 2027. He may be saying that he is declaring support for Bola Tinubu, but that he is speaking for himself, he is not speaking for them. I am sure you would have heard it. So, we are telling Nigerians that if there is any lesson from Osun, it’s for us to come out and vote and protect our votes. That is the only way our wish can prevail.

Former Cross River Governor and presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has criticised the economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration, accusing the government of worsening hardship and impoverishing Nigerians while benefiting financially from the policies.

Duke, in a statement on Saturday, said Nigerians were bearing the consequences of an economic direction that had failed to provide meaningful relief, arguing that the country could not afford to continue defending policies that deepen poverty rather than promote growth and improve livelihoods.

He said recent exchanges between the Tinubu administration and leading opposition parties had convinced him that the President was not prepared to review or reverse what he described as anti-people policies.

‘The ongoing exchanges between the Tinubu administration and the leading opposition parties is clear evidence that President Tinubu has no plans to review or change key anti-people policies that have become the hallmarks of his administration,’ he said.

Duke particularly criticised the government’s handling of fuel subsidy, saying the current arrangement had simply replaced one problematic system with another.

‘The fuel subsidy scam which had preceded the Tinubu administration has been replaced by the poorly-managed option which makes money for governments and impoverishes citizens and the economy,’ he said.

The former governor called for a shift from political arguments to practical and strategically designed economic policies capable of addressing economic growth while reducing poverty.

‘The nation must move beyond debates and adopt well-informed and strategically-designed options to the current economic policies can both address growth and alleviate crushing levels of poverty,’ Duke said.

He said the PRP would pursue a different economic direction if elected, promising greater scrutiny of Nigeria’s economic strengths, better-informed policies and a stronger focus on the livelihoods of Nigerians.

‘Under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), sources of the strength of our economy will be reinforced by imaginative scrutiny, enlightened policies and livelihoods of Nigerians as priorities,’ he said.

Duke also argued that Nigeria needed leadership capable of managing its resources effectively and transforming the country’s assets into sustainable economic growth and development.

‘Nigerians deserve an administration that will respond to good management and growth and development of our assets,’ he said.

Breast development is one of the most noticeable changes during puberty for girls, but it doesn’t follow a strict timeline. At 15, some girls might have fully developed breasts, while others may just be starting or experiencing slower growth. This variation is completely normal. Breast growth primarily depends on hormonal changes, especially the rise in estrogen and progesterone levels that trigger the growth of breast tissue.

The process usually begins with breast budding-the first sign of breast development-occurring between ages 8 and 13. However, this can vary widely. Factors such as genetics, body weight, and overall health influence when and how quickly breasts develop. If you’re wondering, ‘Why Are My Breasts Not Growing At 15?’ it’s important to remember that your body is unique and may simply be following its own schedule. Hormones are the main drivers behind breast development. Estrogen stimulates the growth of the milk ducts in the breasts, while progesterone promotes the formation of milk-producing glands.

These hormones fluctuate throughout puberty and even monthly during menstrual cycles. At age 15, hormone levels can vary dramatically from person to person. Some teens experience a surge in estrogen early on, leading to rapid breast growth. Others might see slower increases or more gradual changes.

Additionally, other hormones like growth hormone and prolactin play smaller but significant roles in shaping breast tissue. If breasts aren’t growing as expected by age 15, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong with hormone production. Sometimes hormone receptors in breast tissue respond differently due to genetic factors or temporary imbalances.

Gout is an inflammatory arthritis caused by hyperuricemia-high levels of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product created when the body breaks down purines, which are chemical compounds found in certain foods and also produced naturally by human cells. When uric acid levels get too high, the chemical crystallises in the joints, most famously the big toe, causing severe pain and swelling.

The widespread misconception is that people with gout simply produce too much uric acid because of their diet. In reality, about 90% of gout sufferers have a different problem: their kidneys don’t pump out enough uric acid. If someone inherits high-performing pumps, their kidneys can easily handle heavy purine loads from red meat, shellfish, and alcohol without letting uric acid build up. If someone inherits sluggish pumps, their kidneys struggle to clear even the baseline amount of uric acid their own body produces naturally. Dietary choices only account for about 1% to 2% of the variation in a person’s serum uric acid levels. Genetics, by contrast, account for nearly a quarter of the variation.

This means someone with poor renal transport genes is fighting a losing battle if they try to manage the condition through diet alone. The main treatment for gout is the use of painkillers as prescribed by a doctor. If your pain isn’t too bad, try cold packs or compresses on your affected joint to lower inflammation and soothe the ache. Wrap ice in a thin towel and apply it to the joint for up to 20 minutes, several times a day. Don’t ice your hands or feet if you have nerve problems from diabetes or other causes.

It’s a good idea to rest it until the pain eases up. You probably don’t want to move it much anyway. If you can, raise the joint on a pillow or other soft object. When your body doesn’t have enough water, your uric acid levels rise even higher. Stay hydrated to help keep those levels down. It is also important to watch what you eat and drink. Foods high in substances called purines, such as some seafood, organ meats such as liver, and fatty foods, can raise the uric acid in your blood and trigger a flare. So can fructose-sweetened drinks and alcohol, especially beer.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced a four-day Basic Life Support (BLS) training for health workers from seven FCT hospitals, in line with the National Council on Health’s approval for the implementation of the National BLS Training Programme across the country.

The American Heart Association (AHA) certified training is taking place at the Conference Hall of Asokoro District Hospital. Health workers from Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse, Gwarinpa, Kuje, Kubwa and Nyanya hospitals are participants in the exercise.

The training is aimed at improving the ability of health workers to respond quickly to emergencies and provide basic life-saving care while further medical intervention is in progress.

The Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, while declaring the training open, said the exercise would improve emergency services across FCT hospitals and help reduce preventable loss of lives.

She explained that the participants would share the knowledge gained with their colleagues and also members of the public, in support of the National Community CPR Initiative.

Dr. Fasawe said the FCTA wants its health workers to remain up to date with global practices in emergency care. She added that the Administration is working towards establishing Code Blue Teams across FCT hospitals to ensure that patients requiring urgent attention receive prompt care.

According to the Mandate Secretary, the training would be extended to other hospitals in the FCT, with the necessary basic equipment and other requirements provided to support emergency response and patient care.

‘Our goal is to consistently record success stories from ‘no pulse to resuscitation’. When people know that they can receive timely and proper emergency care in our hospitals, it will also build their confidence and trust in government hospitals to respond swiftly and manage their loved ones.

‘Participants will undergo a test at the end of the training to assess their knowledge and understanding of the lessons. Certificates will be presented to participants who successfully meet the required standard,’ she said.

The Medical Director of Asokoro District Hospital, Dr. Oluseyi Ashaolu, described the training as necessary and timely for health workers to keep pace with developments in basic emergency care globally.

He said the knowledge and skills acquired would help curb avoidable loss of lives, particularly in situations where immediate and appropriate intervention could make the difference between life and death.

The training coordinator, Dr. Rosemary Nwokorie, a Consultant Anaesthetist, said the exercise is being conducted in batches. The first batch is scheduled for August 21 and 22, 2026, while the second batch will take place on September 4 and 5, 2026.

She added that the training also includes a Stop the Bleeding course, which focuses on helping health workers control severe bleeding in trauma patients prior to definitive medical care.

The team of instructors is led by Dr. Onyedika Godfrey Okoye, a Trauma Surgeon at the Trauma Centre, National Hospital, Abuja.

The FCTA said the training is part of its efforts to improve emergency care and ensure that health workers are better prepared to respond when patients require immediate attention.

The Ekiti State Government has secured potential industrial and trade investments worth up to $500 million following a five-day investment mission to Egypt that attracted more than 40 Egyptian industrialists and investors.

The Ekiti-Egypt Industrial Investment Mission, held in Cairo from 24 to 28 July 2026, focused on opportunities in agriculture, agro-processing, commercial farming, seed production, textiles, manufacturing and solid minerals.

The mission resulted in eight Expressions of Interest (EOIs) and further commercial engagements with Egyptian manufacturers, processors, agribusinesses, mining operators and other investors, with the potential to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the state.

Speaking at the weekend on the mission, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Ebenezer Boluwade, said the state was focused on developing agricultural value chains that would provide farmers with reliable markets while ensuring processors had access to quality raw materials.

He said connecting agricultural production with industry remained central to the state’s food security, employment and economic development agenda.

‘We want to build agricultural value chains where farmers have reliable markets, processors have access to the volumes and quality they require, and more of the value created from our agricultural resources remains within Ekiti. Connecting production to industry is central to our food security, employment and economic development agenda,’ he said.

On her part, the Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industry, Omotayo Adeola, said the government’s immediate priority was to convert the expressions of interest into concrete investments through site visits, commercial agreements, capital deployment and establishment of factories.

Adeola said Ekiti remained open to serious investors willing to establish productive businesses in the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transformation and Service Delivery, Dr John Ekundayo, said the success of the investment mission would ultimately be measured by its impact on the state’s economy through job creation, stronger businesses, increased productivity and new economic activities.

The Founder of Welcome2Africa International, Bamidele Seun Owoola, said the mission had demonstrated the level of international interest that could be attracted to Ekiti’s industrial and investment opportunities.

Osborn Nweze Umahi, 28-year-old son of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has emerged Chairman-elect of Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi following Saturday’s local government election.

Umahi contested the Ebonyi LG chairmanship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and campaigned on a development-focused agenda centred on accountability, service delivery and measurable results.

Shortly after his emergence, the chairman-elect pledged to forgo his salary and allowances throughout his tenure, saying the decision was intended to demonstrate that his motivation for seeking office was service rather than personal enrichment.

He also promised to prioritise infrastructure development, economic empowerment, human capital development and programmes targeted at young people in Ohaozara.

Umahi, an engineer and entrepreneur, is the son of David Umahi, Nigeria’s Minister of Works and former governor of Ebonyi State.

His emergence at the age of 28 is expected to fuel conversations around generational transition in Nigerian politics and the growing participation of young professionals in grassroots administration.

For residents of Ohaozara, however, attention will likely shift from the symbolism of his age and background to his ability to translate his campaign promises into tangible development across the local government.

Many residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are lamenting the rising cost of electricity in the capital, with some considering alternative means of powering their homes.

Tribune Online investigation revealed that the increase is due to the upgrade by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) from other bands to Band A, a category of electricity supply.

Abdul Uman, a security personnel in Garki, told Tribune: ‘I don’t use my air conditioner anymore; electricity has become so expensive. N5,000 worth of electricity no longer lasts me for one week.

‘I have warned my children not to put on the AC in my absence. I have explained to them that if we have to use the AC, I will have to keep over N100,000 for electricity in just one month. It is unsustainable.’

For John Uba, a resident of Apo, the rising electricity cost has prompted him to seek an alternative.

‘I am installing solar in my house. I am doing it bit by bit, but once I am done, I will forget about NEPA. Their cost is becoming too much,’ he said.

Although some areas have been on Band A for some time and residents in such areas have become accustomed to the rising cost of electricity, the current upgrades are unsettling residents in areas that have been newly upgraded.

One of the new areas currently unhappy with the upgrade is the Nyanya-Karu axis. While at the Nyanya AEDC office, many residents came to complain about the increased electricity tariff.

According to Grace, ‘I recharged N2,000 worth of electricity yesterday, and my meter was still blinking, so I was wondering what was wrong because, before, with this amount, the light would turn green, only for me to wake up today to hear the light crying. I am shocked.’

The Nyanya office referred all complaints to the Karu office. Mrs Obinna told Tribune that when she went to Karu, AEDC officials explained that the area had been upgraded to Band A.

Aondoakura Mike, a laundry shop operator, said: ‘They used to give 14 units for N1,000, but now it is four units for N1,000.’

He added: ‘It’s not as if electricity supply has improved in this area. Sometimes, we go a whole day without light. Nyanya is not supposed to be on Band A. How can an area that sometimes does not have electricity for up to two or three days be paying that much for electricity?’

Our findings in these areas revealed that electricity supply is average, with AEDC supplying electricity for between six and nine hours per day.

Residents told our reporter that they could not remember when the last time the areas had an uninterrupted electricity supply was for 24 hours.

Analysts said that Band A electricity in Nigeria is a service category under the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), where consumers are expected to receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity supply daily.