Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… 19,000 fibre cuts, equipment theft hamper digital drive Nigeria’s ambition to achieve nationwide broadband access by 2025 received a major boost as 11 states have abolished charges on Right-of-Way (RoW) for fibre-optic cable installation, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced. The move, according to the NCC, is a significant step toward reducing deployment costs for telecom operators and accelerating internet connectivity across the country. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Wednesday at a business roundtable in Abuja, noting that the waiver demonstrates growing collaboration between the federal and state governments to…

Neighbouring West African countries, Benin and Togo, have failed to pay over half of what they owe Nigeria for electricity supplied in the second quarter of 2025, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed. According to the commission’s Second Quarter 2025 Report, six international bilateral customers who receive electricity from Nigeria’s generation companies remitted only $9.01 million out of a total $17.54 million invoice issued by the Market Operator during the period. This leaves an outstanding balance of about $8.53 million, representing a 51.33 per cent remittance performance. A breakdown of the report obtained by PLATFORM TIMES showed that…

A compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA), Abimbola Williams, on Wednesday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama that a total of N640 million was withdrawn from the Kogi State Government account within six days during the administration of former Governor Yahaya Bello. Williams, who appeared as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, said the funds were withdrawn through 64 cheques of N10 million each by the then Chief Accountant of the Government House, Abdulsalami Hudu, between July 31 and August 6, 2019. Bello, Hudu, and the Director-General of the Kogi Government House…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on Nigerian leaders to intensify efforts to attract both local and international investments, saying such initiatives are key to the nation’s progress and economic sustainability. Obasanjo made the call on Tuesday while commissioning the newly completed Sir Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre in Bauchi State — a multi-purpose facility he described as a “world-class project capable of positioning Bauchi as a major investment and tourism hub.” The former president lauded Governor Bala Mohammed for what he termed “a bold and visionary stride” toward making Bauchi a global destination for investors. “With what we have,…

Aishah  Waliyullah  The Rotary Club of Abeokuta Royal  has launched a tree planting and beautification initiative at the Nigeria Immigration Service headquarters, Abeokuta, while also calling for renewed commitment to basic education, particularly for female children. The  United president, 2025/2026, John Ogunmuyiwa, who led the symbolic planting of trees on Wednesday at the Ogun State command of the Nigeria Immigration Service,Abeokuta,  with the theme, “Growing Service,Planting Impact”, said the project was not only about environmental beautification but, also about sustainability, conservation and community health. “The community is expecting more from us. This tree planting is important because it supports environmental…

Nigerians in the United Kingdom under the platform of Concerned Nigerians in the Diaspora United Kingdom (CND-UK) have vowed to intensify their campaign against corrupt politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring the exercise as “Our Year of Emancipation.” The group, led by Abanikanda Olumoro, said its mission is to ensure that individuals with corruption-tainted records are barred from dominating the political space, stressing that Nigeria’s next leadership phase must be built on integrity and accountability. While commending recent media reports that exposed the alleged forged degree certificate of former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, CND-UK…

The President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Williams Akporeha, on Wednesday, narrated before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama how he narrowly escaped being lynched by a mob of tanker drivers and thugs in Abuja. Akporeha, who appeared as a prosecution witness before Justice Yusuf Halilu, alleged that 20 tanker drivers, accompanied by armed youths, stormed his hotel with weapons and gallons of petrol following a disputed union election. According to him, the attackers destroyed hotel doors and windows before forcefully breaking into rooms where he and other union leaders were lodged.…

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged Nigerian youths to resist the pressure of online fraud and embrace integrity as a core value for sustainable success. Olukoyede gave the charge on Wednesday while delivering the 17th convocation lecture of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State. The lecture was themed “Beyond Degrees: Cultivating Purpose, Resilience, and Service in a Complex World.” He cautioned graduates and young Nigerians never to yield to the lure of quick wealth, stressing that riches earned through crooked means never last. > “On no account must you yield to pressure to…

Fresh controversies have trailed an alleged child trafficking scandal involving senior police officers in Ebonyi State, as investigators at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Enugu, reportedly advised the victim’s family to “negotiate” with the suspects. The case centres on the family of Mr. Philip Nweze, whose sister, Susannah Nwanneka Nweze, claimed her newborn baby was sold by some officers for ₦25 million under suspicious circumstances. According to sources familiar with the investigation, at least two Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), including the Officer-in-Charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Officer-in-Charge of Medical, were named in…

Nigerian electricity authorities have struck out 1.9 million customers from the national power database within just three months over inactivity, further deepening concerns about transparency and service delivery in the sector. A review of second-quarter data released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) showed that as of March 2025, electricity customers stood at 13.7 million. However, the figure dropped sharply to 11.8 million by June, following a nationwide “rebasing exercise” that delisted inactive accounts. According to NERC, inactive customers are those who have neither been billed nor purchased electricity for at least one year. The Commission said the move…