Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to introduce large-scale farming programmes in correctional centres across the country to improve inmates’ nutrition and support their rehabilitation. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Folorunsho Adegbesan, who represents Ijebu North/Ijebu East/Waterside Federal Constituency of Ogun State. Presenting the motion during plenary, Adegbesan decried the poor feeding condition in Nigerian prisons, warning that malnutrition had become widespread among inmates due to inadequate and unbalanced diets. He noted that the situation amounted to “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment,” citing concerns already raised by courts in several African…

Despite modest progress in child survival, Nigeria continues to lose about 850,000 newborns and under-five children to preventable causes every year, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has said. Pate, who spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2025 World Pneumonia and Prematurity Days, described the figure as “a heavy national burden” that calls for urgent, sustained interventions. Represented by the Director of Health Promotion, John Urakpa, the minister said Nigeria had achieved a 45 per cent reduction in under-five mortality over the past two decades, but the rate remains far above…

The Senate has dismissed speculations about an alleged plot to impeach the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, describing the reports as baseless and a deliberate attempt to create tension within the National Assembly. Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), made the clarification during Tuesday’s plenary after media reports quoted Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North) as admitting that there had been “attempts” to remove Akpabio. Bamidele said the statement attributed to Kalu was taken out of context, adding that the Senate remained united under Akpabio’s leadership and would not tolerate distractions. > “From my discussion with Senator Orji Uzor…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of two National Assembly staff — Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Adam Goni — for defrauding job seekers of N4.8 million under the pretext of securing employment for them in federal agencies. According to a statement by the ICPC on Wednesday, the duo tricked two unsuspecting victims, Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar, into believing they could help them secure lucrative jobs at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The anti-graft agency explained that the fraud was uncovered following a petition…

Despite billions of naira reportedly spent annually on social protection schemes, less than half of Nigeria’s social welfare benefits reach the country’s poorest citizens, a new World Bank report has revealed. The report, titled “The State of Social Safety Nets in Nigeria” and released in November 2025, paints a grim picture of inefficiency, poor targeting, and chronic underfunding in Nigeria’s social safety-net programmes — the very schemes designed to cushion vulnerable citizens from extreme poverty. According to the World Bank, only 44 percent of total benefits from government-funded social protection initiatives actually reach the poor, even though the poor account…

The Federal Government on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to upholding press freedom, declaring that it has not shut down, threatened, or harassed any media organisation since the inception of the present administration. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known at the 2025 All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) held at the State House, Abuja. Idris said the administration’s record on media freedom reflected its “conscious commitment” to the constitutional principles of democracy and free expression. “It is significant to note that not a single radio or television station has been threatened, gagged, or shut down by this…

…Minister Says Mother-Tongue Instruction ‘Destroyed Education In Some Regions’ … New Teacher Training Plan To Boost Literacy, Numeracy In Early Classes By Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has officially scrapped the National Language Policy that mandated the use of indigenous languages as the medium of instruction in Nigerian schools, declaring English as the sole language of teaching from pre-primary to tertiary level. The announcement was made on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu-Tunji Alausa, at the 2025 Language in Education International Conference organised by the British Council in Abuja. The now-suspended policy, introduced in 2022, required teaching from…

Daud Olatunji In the heart of Oyo State, two communities ; Araromi Aperin and Alagbaa are rewriting Nigeria’s sanitation story. Once plagued by open defecation, these settlements under Ona-Ara Local Government Area have emerged as models of community-driven transformation, proving that leadership, awareness, and collective action can turn public health nightmares into success stories. Open defecation remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing public health challenges. The 2023 WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) report revealed that over 46 million Nigerians still defecate in the open, placing the country among the worst in the world on this metric. . As of…

Grace Adeleye The Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Hon. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, on Tuesday highlighted the achievements of his administration over the past one  year and unveiled plans for several development projects in the area. Speaking at a press conference held at the local government secretariat in Akomoje, Abeokuta, Oyegbola-Sodipo said his administration had fulfilled some of its promises within 12 months, particularly in youth empowerment and local enterprise development. He revealed that the local government had launched the OGOO multipurpose venture , a paint production initiative in Abeokuta North, and trained youths in Adire production, a skill that generates…

… Say Crisis Linked To 2027 Senatorial Ticket … Allege Marginalisation, Victimisation Of Ex-Gov Loyalists Aishah Waliyullah Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun East Senatorial District have described as “false, mischievous, and politically motivated” the purported suspension of the Senator representing the district, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, from the party. The leaders, who jointly signed a statement read at a world press conference held at Asoludero quarters, in Sagamu on Wednesday, said there was no official communication from the state or national leadership of the APC to that effect, adding that the alleged suspension was a “social media…