Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Zaynab Abioye Stakeholders in the media and education sectors on Tuesday called for a revival of reading culture among Nigerian students, warning that the growing dependence on social media is eroding intellectual development and academic excellence. The call was made at a live conversation themed, “Community Media in Our Nascent Democracy: The Ogun State Example,” organised to mark the 35th anniversary of Prestige Newspaper at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Hall, Iwe-Iroyin, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta. Speaking at the event, the publisher of Prestige Newspaper, Dada Olanipekun, expressed concern over what he described as the declining interest in reading among young people,…

…Targets Top 25 Ranking In Nigeria, 50% IGR Growth By 2031 Daud Olatunji The newly inaugurated Vice-Chancellor of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Prof. Samuel Ekundayo Oladipo, has unveiled an ambitious seven-point development agenda aimed at repositioning the institution as one of Nigeria’s top 25 universities and among the world’s top 3,000 by 2031. Oladipo, who spoke on Tuesday,  during his investiture as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the five-year strategic blueprint was designed to consolidate TASFUED’s new status as a Federal University while accelerating growth in academic excellence, research, digital innovation, infrastructure and…

…Education Minister Says Policy Has Failed …Seeks To Halt Rising School Dropout Rate Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has unveiled plans to abolish the long-standing separation of Junior Secondary School and Senior Secondary School, describing the policy as a major contributor to Nigeria’s worsening school dropout crisis. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the proposed reform on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission Ministerial Implementation and Monitoring Committee, saying the existing arrangement has failed to guarantee a smooth transition for millions of learners. According to the minister, more than 20 million pupils are…

…Protest cripples academic activities, CBT test postponed Students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, on Tuesday shut down academic activities and blocked the Minna-Bida Road in protest over the alleged killing of a student by suspected robbers and worsening insecurity around off-campus hostels. The protesters barricaded the institution’s main gate, preventing the Vice-Chancellor, principal officers, lecturers and other members of staff from accessing the campus. The demonstration also disrupted the university’s scheduled computer-based aptitude test for 100- and 300-level students, leaving academic activities at a standstill. The students alleged that the protest was triggered by the killing…

Nigeria recorded 79,323 deaths and 34,773 civilian abductions linked to terrorism and violent attacks between 2020 and 2025, according to a new report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. The six-year investigation, unveiled in Jos on Tuesday, said the figures underscore the scale of the country’s worsening security crisis, with an average of seven attacks and 36 deaths recorded daily during the period under review. The report, titled “Four Times Boko Haram? How the World Misreads Nigeria’s Violence,” was accompanied by a statement issued by ORFA’s Senior Research Analyst, Frans Vierhout. According to the findings, 42,033 civilians lost…

…Army orders probe, vows sanctions if personnel found culpable Daud Olatunji The management of Osun State University has accused soldiers allegedly attached to the Nigerian Army Depot in Osogbo of invading off-campus student hostels, assaulting students, stripping female occupants and confiscating dozens of mobile phones during a late-night operation. The university said the incident, which occurred on Monday night, affected more than 20 students and had been formally reported to the Army authorities, expressing hope that those responsible would be brought to justice. Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Clement Adeboye, who visited the affected hostels on Tuesday, described the alleged…

A security expert and Convener of the Katsina Security Community Initiative, Bashir Kurfi, has called for a thorough investigation into allegations that suspected bandit commanders participated in the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, warning that the claims raise serious questions about Nigeria’s intelligence gathering and security screening systems. Kurfi, who spoke on Tuesday during Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, stressed that the allegations should neither be dismissed nor accepted without investigation. According to him, the government has a responsibility to either confirm or debunk claims that some suspected bandit leaders travelled to Saudi Arabia for…

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old housewife, Sadiya Lawal, for allegedly attempting to kill her husband by slitting his throat while he was asleep in Katsina metropolis. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the suspect is currently in police custody while investigations continue. According to the statement, the victim, Jamilu Ibrahim, reported the incident at the Central Market Police Division at about 9:00 a.m. on Monday, alleging that his wife attacked him with a knife at about 5:30 a.m. while he was asleep. The police said Ibrahim sustained…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to resume the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections despite an ongoing legal dispute over its status. The National Leader of the NDC and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Henry Dickson, disclosed the development in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday. Dickson said the restoration followed the party’s filing of a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which had…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has remitted a cumulative ₦950bn into the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund, with the agency expressing optimism that the figure will increase as it strengthens its operations and financial performance. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDIC, Dr Thompson Sunday, disclosed this during a media briefing on the corporation’s contribution to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He said the corporation, which is funded through bank insurance premiums and investment income rather than government allocations, contributed about ₦274bn to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2025 alone. According to him, the NDIC has consistently increased…