Author: Platform Times Newspaper

“Evacuation of people in high-risk areas to safer ground is ongoing, amid concerns about the risk of disease outbreaks,” she said. The United Nations (UN) says at least 414,000 people were displaced by Tuesday’s devastating flood in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The Head of Public Information, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Abuja, Ann Weru, stated this in a Media Advisory. Ms Weru said that the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Malick Fall, plans to address the media on the issue. She said that the data was collected by the…

The Department of State Services (DSS) in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, has invited Comrade Jamiu Olayinka, one of the conveners of the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, in connection with a lawsuit filed by the group against the Lagos State Government regarding a controversial land deal with Dangote Refinery.  The land in question, valued at $100 million, was allegedly taken from the Ibeju-Lekki natives without compensation. Comrade Olayinka, who leads the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, was summoned on Thursday morning while he was at work.  He was asked to report to the DSS office at 10:00 a.m. that day.  After consulting with his legal…

Chimoney, a Techstars-backed fintech company based in Toronto, has announced the expansion of its partnership with the Interledger Foundation (ILF), a move aimed at promoting financial inclusion across Africa and other emerging markets. Through this collaboration, Chimoney is leveraging the Interledger Protocol (ILP) to bring secure, compliant, and easily accessible digital financial services to users on its Chimoney Wallets platform. By integrating ILP, Chimoney Wallets will efficiently support Interledger Payment Pointers, providing users with a seamless and secure way to handle transactions. This will also enable instant Peer-to-Peer (P2P) transfers, making it easier for users to send and receive money…

Daud Olatunji Nigeria is facing a significant public health crisis as more than 200 million people are at risk of contracting at least one Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD), according to a recent statement by UNICEF. UNICEF WASH Specialist Monday Johnson  spoke on “Neglected Tropical Diseases Elimination and Behaviour Change – Overview of Key Links Between NTDs and Sanitation (ODF)”    at a media dialogue on ending open defecation in Nigeria and the elimination of NTDs, organised by the UNICEF in collaboration with the Oyo Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, held in Lagos State. Monday added that Nigeria has…

Emmanuel Oludare With the 2024 Ogun State Local Government elections on the horizon, the political scene in the state is clouded by uncertainty, and one key player stands at the heart of it—Otunba Gbenga Daniel (OGD).  As a two-term former governor and current Senator representing Ogun-East Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress (APC), OGD’s political reach remains formidable.  Yet, his younger brother, Adeoye Daniel, is charting his own political path, seeking the chairmanship of Sagamu Local Government, but on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ticket.  This family dynamic, coupled with opposing political allegiances, is poised to create a ripple…

Daud Olatunji The Chief of Lagos Field Office at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),Celine Lafoucriere has raised the alarm over the  statistics surrounding out-of-school children and educational dropouts in Nigeria.  Speaking during an advocacy visit to the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, on Thursday,Lafoucriere attributed the issues to a range of systemic problems. She added that the factors  include  inadequate evidence-based policies, insufficient budget allocation, a shortage of teachers and classrooms, poor infrastructure, cultural norms, health and safety concerns, and child labour. Lafoucriere emphasized UNICEF’s commitment to addressing these challenges by developing models aimed at reducing the number of out-of-school…

Former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, has commended real estate firm, Pelican Valley Ltd, for naming its longest estate road after him, urging it to persevere in its determination to improve life and comfort by making urban living to align with nature’s beauty. Osoba expressed both confidence and expectation that in the next couple of years, the CEO of Pelican Valley, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, would turn the estate into an iconic architecture city. The elder statesman spoke at the inauguration of the Pelican’s Ecostay Apartments, the first set of eco-friendly homes at Masa-Kobape corridor of Ogun State…

Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has revealed that Nigeria requires over 20 million toilet facilities to combat the alarming issue of open defecation, which remains prevalent among 48 million Nigerians. This was disclosed by Mrs. Chizoma Opara, Deputy Director of the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, during a media dialogue organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with Oyo State Rural Water Supply Agency.  The event, aimed at raising awareness on ending open defecation and eliminating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), was held in Lagos. Opara, while presenting an…

Aisha Ademigbuji While it might go unnoticed by many, book lovers around the world know that August 9th is an unofficial holiday dedicated to celebrating the joy of reading and literature. It’s National Book Lovers Day, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating it since May 2024. Let me share a brief summary of how I celebrated Book Lovers Day. First, I picked up a book I had previously set aside and made sure to finish it on August 9th. Afterward, I created a short reel highlighting both classic and contemporary works by African authors, including Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Buchi…

The leadership of the Labour Party (LP), headed by its National Working Committee (NWC), has called for a thorough investigation into alleged financial misconduct involving key figures in the party’s 2023 presidential campaign.  The party is urging the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to probe its presidential candidate, Peter Obi; activist Aisha Yesufu; Pastor Itua Ighodalo; and several prominent members of the socio-political group, Afenifere. At a press conference held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Wednesday, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, made the allegations public.  Arabambi claimed that over…