Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has urged Nigeria to harness the multi-billion-naira sports industry as a strategic tool for tackling youth unemployment, warning that the country continues to ignore solutions hiding in plain sight. Fashola, who also served as Minister of Power, Works and Housing, stated this on Sunday while delivering a lecture at the launch of veteran sports journalist Dr. Mumini Alao’s autobiography in Lagos. Speaking on the topic “Re-thinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Sports Development”, Fashola argued that the global sports industry has undergone a dramatic economic transformation, creating…

The Federal Government has expressed deep concern over the slow pace of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integration at the state level, revealing that 17 states are yet to domesticate the global development framework into their governance structures. Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, issued the warning on Tuesday at a one-day roundtable dialogue with state SDG focal persons in Abuja. She described the lag as a significant threat to Nigeria’s ability to meet the 2030 targets. “There are 20 states that have domesticated and integrated SDG targets and indicators into their plans. But we still…

A heated debate has erupted over the burial traditions of Yoruba monarchs, with prominent Christian and Islamic leaders calling for an end to practices they describe as “barbaric, fetish and shrouded in secrecy,” while a renowned Ifa priest insists such customs are misunderstood and integral to preserving Yoruba heritage. The fiery exchange played out during the 34th edition of Boiling Point Arena, a monthly current affairs discourse hosted by media professional, Dr. Ayo Arowojolu, and chaired by the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Prof. Saka Matemilola. Speaking in unison despite religious differences, Pastor Femi Emmanuel, Presiding Pastor of Living Spring…

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, on Tuesday declared his readiness to mobilise progressive-minded politicians across the country to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027. Speaking with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Soludo praised Tinubu’s “bold and decisive” economic and structural reforms, describing them as the right steps to reposition Nigeria’s economy. “I support him, and I’m impressed by the bold steps he has taken, particularly in the areas of the economy and structural reforms. We need to stay the course,” the former…

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that no fewer than 8,246 inmates in its custodial centres across the country are currently suffering from various mental health conditions. Assistant Controller General of Corrections in charge of Medical Services, Glory Essien, made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday during a public hearing by the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, and Other Inhumane Treatment by the NCoS. Essien painted a grim picture of the psychological toll of incarceration, stressing that the sudden loss of freedom often triggers mental distress among new inmates. “From the moment someone is…

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has intensified its counter-insurgency operations in Borno State, killing no fewer than 592 terrorists and destroying 372 enemy assets in the last eight months — a record that has already surpassed the force’s total gains in 2024. NAF’s spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, quoting the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, during a courtesy visit to Governor Babagana Zulum in Maiduguri. Abubakar said the sustained aerial offensive had eliminated 206 technical vehicles and 166 logistics hubs deep in hostile territory. The precision strikes, according to…

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has revealed that remittances from Nigerians in the diaspora exceeded $20 billion in 2024, describing the contribution as a vital boost to the nation’s economy. Tuggar disclosed this on Monday during a working visit to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) in Abuja, where he commended the leadership of the commission’s Chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for advancing the interests of Nigerians living abroad. The minister said the figure underscored the economic significance of the diaspora, noting that more than 17 million Nigerians reside across different continents, excelling in diverse fields such as medicine, engineering,…

Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have arrested a 63-year-old woman, identified as Ngozi Muotuanya, over her alleged role in a cross-state child trafficking network. Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that Muotuanya was apprehended on August 11 following credible intelligence linking her to the abduction and sale of a one-year-old boy. According to Ikenga, preliminary investigations revealed that in 2024, the suspect allegedly stole the boy in Minna, Niger State, and sold him to a buyer in Anambra. However, after the initial buyer realised the child had been stolen, he reportedly returned him to…

A violent jailbreak rocked the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Keffi, Nasarawa State, in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving five correctional officers injured and 16 inmates on the run. According to a statement by Abubakar Umar, spokesperson of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), the incident occurred when a group of inmates launched a coordinated attack on officers manning the facility, overpowering them before breaching the prison gates. Two of the injured officers are in critical condition and currently receiving treatment at a government hospital, while three others sustained varying degrees of injury during the fracas. “Seven of the fleeing…

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has raised alarm over a disturbing new method allegedly used by some Nigerian politicians to evade anti-graft scrutiny — declaring assets they do not yet own before assuming public office. Olukoyede, speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the launch of a virtual tool on the code of conduct for public officers, described the practice as “anticipatory looting” — a premeditated move to legitimise assets that will be acquired with stolen public funds. The event was organised by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) in collaboration with the Technical…