Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are at loggerheads over the N47.9 trillion 2025 budget proposal, with both sides presenting sharply contrasting views on its implications for Nigeria’s economic trajectory. Tinubu, while presenting the budget to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, projected an optimistic economic outlook, asserting that inflation would drop from the current 34.6% to 15% by next year. He also forecasted an improvement in the exchange rate from approximately N1,700 per dollar to N1,500. According to Tinubu, the budget is anchored on strategic measures, including reduced importation…

Over half of Nigerians have expressed a desire to leave the country, with the number of those seriously considering emigration tripling since 2017, a new report by Afrobarometer has revealed. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  report, published on Wednesday to mark International Migration Day (IMD), highlights a growing trend of Nigerians seeking to escape economic hardship and pursue better opportunities abroad. According to the pan-African research network, 56% of Nigerians have contemplated emigration, marking a 20-percentage-point increase since 2017. Those who have given “a lot” of thought to leaving have surged from 11% to 33% within the same period. The…

Ayomide Awe Ogun State is set to host the 65th National Conference of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN) exactly 30 years after the state last hosted the event. The conference, scheduled to hold in Abeokuta, the state capital, from August 18 to 25, 2025, will bring together over 1,000 participants from across the country. The Chairman of STAN’s Ogun State chapter, Yomi Onanuga, made this announcement on Wednesday during a familiarization visit to the corporate office of PLATFORM TIMES in Abeokuta. Onanuga disclosed that the conference would feature representatives from all 36 states of the federation, including the…

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Aerofield Homes Limited, Armstrong ‘Tope Akintunde, has congratulated ESV Bashir Oladunni on his appointment as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Wemabod Limited, one of Nigeria’s foremost real estate firms. In a statement made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Wednesday, Akintunde described Oladunni’s appointment as well-deserved, commending his professional achievements and leadership qualities. He expressed confidence in Oladunni’s ability to propel Wemabod Limited to greater heights, emphasizing the company’s critical role in Nigeria’s real estate development. “We extend our heartfelt congratulations to you on your well-deserved appointment as the Managing Director/Chief…

Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, on Tuesday matriculated 3,258 students for the 2024 academic session, urging them to embrace purpose-driven education and shun all forms of misconduct, including bullying. The matriculating students, drawn from Nigeria and other countries such as Chad, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Gabon, South Africa, and Côte d’Ivoire, were advised to leverage the university’s comprehensive training programme  for their academic and personal growth. Speaking at the ceremony, the institution’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ademola Tayo, charged the students to explore the principles of humanity and society to understand the purpose and significance of life. “You…

A 17-year-old Political Science student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Sobando Semilore, has been arrested for allegedly stealing and attempting to sell high-end smartphones. The suspect was apprehended on December 17, 2024, by a surveillance anti-crime patrol team led by Inspector Morufu Olajide of the Ago-Iwoye police division. According to a police statement, Semilore was caught in possession of a Samsung S21 valued at ₦350,000 and an iPhone 14 Pro Max worth ₦650,000. The devices were said to belong to one Muktapha Adenugba. The police disclosed that Semilore, a first-year student residing in Danmark Hall, was nabbed at…

The 18 local government chairmen in Edo State have rejected their suspension by the State House of Assembly, describing the decision as unconstitutional and a violation of court orders. The chairmen, under the aegis of the Edo State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), made their position known during a press briefing in Benin City on Tuesday. Their spokesperson, Newman Ugiagbe, who is the chairman of Orhionmwon Local Government Area and also serves as the state chairman of ALGON, asserted that their suspension on December 17, 2024, was invalid. According to Ugiagbe, the suspension was orchestrated…

The Ogun State House of Assembly has mandated the management of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Abeokuta, to provide comprehensive documentation for all the institution’s business ventures. This directive was issued on Wednesday by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Musefiu Lamidi, during the ongoing 2025 budget defence session involving Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) in the state. Expressing dissatisfaction with the omission of MAPOLY’s business ventures in its 2025 budget proposal, Lamidi emphasized the need for an investigation into the operations of the ventures. “The committee is interested in probing all MAPOLY ventures, and you need…

The Dangote Group, owners of the Dangote Refinery, has refuted claims by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) that it extended a $1 billion loan to the refinery during liquidity challenges. In a statement on Tuesday, the Dangote Group spokesperson, Anthony Chijiena, described NNPCL’s claim as “misinformation,” insisting the state-owned oil company’s $1 billion contribution was an equity investment, not a loan. Earlier, NNPCL spokesperson Olufemi Soneye had asserted that the company secured a $1 billion crude-backed loan to support Dangote Refinery. However, Chijiena clarified that the said amount represents only five percent of the total investment in the…

The Katsina government on Tuesday rewarded a woman, Malama Amina Abdulkadir-Yanmama, with N500,000 for returning N748,320 to to the state. The N748,320 was meant for the federal government’s home-grown school feeding programme in Katsina. The executive director of the Katsina State Social Investment Programme Agency (KASIPA), Mudassir Nasir presented the reward to the woman. “She told us that she received alert with a narration titled payment for vendors who were providing primary school pupils with free food. The woman decided to come to our office because she was not on the register for vendors who provide food for our pupils…