Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Nigeria’s small and medium-scale enterprises are grappling with a massive N48tn financing shortfall, amid concerns that recent banking reforms have yet to translate into meaningful credit to the productive sector, a new report has revealed. The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) raised the alarm in a policy brief on Sunday, stating that despite improvements in the banking system, credit flow to SMEs remains alarmingly low. According to the report led by economist, Dr Muda Yusuf, SME lending accounts for only about one per cent of total bank credit in Nigeria far below the sub-Saharan African average of…

The Ogun State chapter of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) has expressed confidence in the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Olubode Ojajuni, describing his appointment as a boost to security and policing standards in the Gateway State. In a statement issued on Sunday, the association said it received Ojajuni’s assumption of duty with “great optimism,” noting that his track record as a seasoned law enforcement officer and strategic administrator positions him for a result-oriented tenure. Ojajuni, who is the 38th Commissioner of Police to head the Ogun State Command, was described by…

Governors of the 19 Northern states on Monday pledged to intensify coordinated efforts to confront the rising wave of banditry and terrorism plaguing the region, even as they admitted that sustained vigilance remains critical to securing recent gains. The pledge was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) held in Abuja, where the governors reviewed the security situation and outlined fresh strategies to strengthen peace and stability across the North. Chairman of the forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, said the meeting focused on critical issues…

The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party worsened on Monday as former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, declared that Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, risks expulsion from the party. Fayose made the remark at the party’s 2026 National Convention, insisting that Makinde’s alleged anti-party activities would no longer be tolerated. According to him, Makinde had already been suspended and would be expelled after the convention. He said, “Governor Seyi Makinde is already in suspension and after this convention, he will be expelled. With the ongoing developments, he is also likely to lose the next election in Oyo State.” Fayose…

The Federal Government on Sunday disclosed that Nigeria’s public university system lost nearly five academic years to industrial actions by the Academic Staff Union of Universities in the decade preceding 2023, highlighting the deep-rooted instability that has plagued the sector. Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, who made the disclosure in Abuja, said the country recorded about 52 strike actions within the period, translating to roughly 1,700 lost academic days. He spoke at the launch of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Business Incubation Certification programme, where he blamed the frequent shutdowns for prolonged academic calendars, delayed graduations, and declining global competitiveness of…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed claims that he is set to retire from active politics, describing the reports as “false, misleading and politically motivated.” In a statement issued on Monday through his media aide, Paul Ibe, the former presidential candidate said rumours circulating on social media about his alleged decision to step aside after a meeting with stakeholders of the African Democratic Congress were fabricated. He warned that the development was part of a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at weakening the rising influence of the opposition bloc. “We wish to state unequivocally that the report claiming that Atiku…

… 530 intercepted at Katsina border as states of origin span nationwide … Officials warn of rising irregular migration across West Africa Daud Olatunji No fewer than 800 Nigerian migrants have been deported from the Republic of Niger and returned to the country through Kano State, in what has further heightened concerns over irregular migration and porous border control within the West African sub-region. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that at least 530 of the returnees were intercepted and received by immigration officials at the Magama Jibia border in Katsina State. The figure comprised 345 males and 185 females, while others were…

An Ogun State Magistrate Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, on Monday ordered the remand of a National Youth Service Corps official, Abass Olalekan, for 60 days over his alleged involvement in the death of a 23-year-old corps member, Victoria Ariyo, following a suspected unlawful abortion. The remand order was issued by Magistrate O.T. Odubanjo after an ex parte application filed by the police prosecutor, Solomon Babalola, seeking the defendant’s custody pending legal advice from the Ogun State Directorate of Public Prosecutions. Olalekan, who was initially arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempt to procure abortion, had earlier pleaded…

14-year-old arrested for attempting to A 14-year-old boy, identified as Eke Miracle, has been arrested after allegedly attempting to sneak beneath an aircraft at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The incident, which occurred on Monday, raised fresh concerns over aviation security breaches at one of Nigeria’s busiest airports. According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Airport Police Command, ASP Mohammed Adeola, the teenager was intercepted on the airport’s restricted tarmac while allegedly trying to position himself under an aircraft preparing for operations. Adeola described the act as a “serious breach of aviation security protocols,” noting…

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has resigned from the Federal Executive Council to pursue his governorship ambition in Bauchi State ahead of the 2027 general elections. His resignation was confirmed on Monday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa. It was gathered that Tuggar submitted his resignation letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu shortly after noon, formally stepping down from the cabinet. Findings indicated that the former minister is set to contest the Bauchi State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress. Tuggar’s exit is coming barely days before the…