Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Society of Music Educators of Nigeria (SOMEN) has called for the urgent adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in music education across the country, as part of a bold move to unify music teaching methods and align with global standards. The call was made during SOMEN’s 20th Annual National Conference, held on Wednesday at the Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The gathering brought together music educators, researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders from across Nigeria to chart a progressive path for the future of music education. Renowned educationist and keynote speaker, Professor Peter Okebukola, in his address themed “Artificial…

No fewer than 120 million Nigerians have so far been enrolled in the National Identity Number (NIN) database, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed on Wednesday in Abuja. Speaking at a media conference, Mrs Coker-Odusote said the NIN enrolment exercise remains ongoing across urban and rural areas, with an aggressive drive to expand the reach before the end of the year. “We have enrolled many Nigerians and are still counting. We are definitely going to continue until we capture more Nigerians before year-end,” she said. According to the NIMC boss, the agency’s partnership with…

No fewer than 138 Nigerians have lost their lives to Lassa fever between January and May 4, 2025, according to data released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency, in its latest situation report, said a total of 717 confirmed cases were recorded out of 4,881 suspected infections across 18 states and 93 Local Government Areas. This reflects a case fatality rate of 19.3 per cent—higher than the 18 per cent recorded in the same period last year. Ondo, Taraba, and Bauchi states remain the hardest hit, accounting for 71 per cent of all confirmed cases.…

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms are beginning to yield positive results, positioning Nigeria as a more attractive destination for foreign investment. Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Montgomery described Tinubu’s policies as “big and bold,” noting that recent moves such as the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of the exchange rate are laying the groundwork for long-term economic stability. “These economic reforms are paying off,” he said. “Nigeria is becoming more investible, and we are seeing increased interest from UK businesses and investors.” The envoy…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a suit against political economist and former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, accusing him of attempting to establish a parallel government in Nigeria under the guise of a “shadow cabinet.” In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/937/2025 and filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on May 13, the DSS is seeking a judicial declaration that Utomi’s actions constitute a threat to the 1999 Constitution and national security. The agency contends that the initiative amounts to an illegal attempt to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. The security agency, through its counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN),…

Troops of the Nigerian Army, in a coordinated operation with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), on Wednesday repelled an attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on a military base in Rann, Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State. The insurgents, who reportedly disguised themselves as Fulani herders, launched the assault in the early hours of the day, targeting the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the area. According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert reporting on the Lake Chad region, the attack was met with fierce resistance by the troops on ground, leading to a prolonged exchange…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has admitted to a technical error that marred the conduct of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), affecting the results of 379,997 candidates across 157 centres nationwide. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, disclosed that the board had traced the error to faulty server updates in its Lagos and Owerri zones, which led to the failure to upload candidates’ responses during the first three days of the examination. According to Oloyede, the discrepancy originated from one of the two technical service providers engaged for…

Twenty-one communities in Ogun West Senatorial District are poised to be reconnected to the national power grid after over a decade of total blackout, following the presentation of ₦54.8 million worth of electrical materials by Dangote Cement Plc. The donation, made on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, marks a critical milestone in addressing long-standing infrastructural neglect that has left thousands of households, small businesses, schools, and health centres in darkness for more than 10 years. The intervention, facilitated by the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ogun West chapter, and backed by key legislative and traditional stakeholders, is set to bring…

 In a remarkable display of legislative commitment, Hon. Afolabi Afuape, the Member of the House of Representatives representing Abeokuta South Federal Constituency, has empowered 854 constituents with N100,000 each, alongside providing various empowerment tools aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and skill acquisition. The event, held at the iconic Ake Palace in Abeokuta, marks another milestone in Afuape’s ongoing efforts to address the needs of his people. The empowerment initiative was one of the major highlights of the day, which saw numerous beneficiaries receive cash gifts and professional tools, including motorcycles, sewing machines, and hair dryers, to enhance their livelihood. This gesture…

A coalition of civil society organisations has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s deepening fiscal crisis, revealing that the country loses over $18 billion annually to illicit financial flows while more than 70 per cent of its revenue is currently spent on debt servicing. The disclosure was made in a policy paper titled “Financing for Development in Nigeria: Sectoral Context and Insights for the Fourth International Conference”, released in Abuja ahead of the United Nations’ Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled to hold in Seville, Spain on June 30, 2025. The report was coordinated by the Civil Society…