Author: News Room

The Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, has clarified that the man who reportedly died by suicide in the Emure-Ile community, Owo Local Government Area, was not a student of the institution. PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased, identified as Audi Emmanuel, was found hanging in his room off campus on Monday.  Although initial reports described the 20-year-old as a computer engineering student of the state-owned polytechnic, the institution said his name does not appear in its departmental records.  In a statement issued on Thursday, the Senior Assistant Registrar, Public Relations and Protocol, Olumide Olugosi, stated that Emmanuel was never…

The central tenet of public-choice theory and public realism posits that political parties, which are supposed to aggregate public interests or public needs into public policy, often end up as platforms to advance personal interests of office seekers, or “political entrepreneurs,” and their quest to access the commonwealth of a nation. Legend has it that Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of France used to allow the written requests of the citizens to pile up in a heap, which was then disaggregated into categories of issues every 13 days. He then addressed those categories of issues instead of sitting down in long sessions,…

The Nigeria Democratic Congress on Friday commenced its maiden congresses nationwide, marking a major step in its internal democratic process ahead of its first national convention slated for May 9, 2026. This was disclosed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, in a statement announcing the rollout of activities across the country. According to him, ward and polling unit congresses are scheduled to hold on May 1 and 2, while local government congresses will take place on May 4. The party said the exercises would culminate in its maiden National Convention billed for Abuja on May…

A technology firm, Crown Softech Ltd, has unveiled an Artificial Intelligence-powered communication platform designed to support electoral processes and business operations. The platform, known as WaFlo, is a “Software-as-a-Service” solution that integrates Meta Business APIs across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger to enable organisations manage customer and public communications from a centralised system. In a statement made available to our correspondent on Saturday, the Lead Architect and Founder of the firm, Sikiru Obarayese, said the platform was built to address challenges associated with handling large volumes of messages across multiple channels, particularly for businesses, public institutions and elections. “WaFlo aggregates messages…

A researcher at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr Anire Chima-Oduko, has called for urgent improvements in reproductive health services for women living with HIV, citing gaps in access, quality of care, and contraceptive uptake. She made the call on Wednesday in Lagos while presenting findings from a study on pregnancy intentions and contraceptive needs among women living with HIV, noting that current service limitations are contributing to a high rate of unintended pregnancies. “There is a need to strengthen reproductive health services for women living with HIV. Addressing gaps in access, quality, and provider communication is critical to improving…

Nigeria made a dominant start to the African Senior Wrestling Championships in Alexandria, sweeping four gold medals on the opening day of the women’s events on Friday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The country won four of the five available gold medals, underlining its intent in the race for continental supremacy, as reigning African champion Esther Kolawole led the charge with a commanding display. Competing in the 62kg category, Kolawole overpowered South Africa’s Katelyn Swan 10-0 by superiority to clinch her fifth African title, reinforcing her status as one of the continent’s leading wrestlers. Earlier, Ogunsanya Christianah set the tone for…

Popular singers, Teni Makanaki and Ice Prince, have, at opened up on the physical and mental demands of their weight loss journeys. Teni stirred conversations online during the week after responding to critics who questioned her slimmer physique. The singer stated that if people knew what she went through to lose the weight, they would be happy for her. The reactions followed a video she shared with Olamide to promote their new song, Zion. In the clip, Teni wore a fitted red outfit, accessorised with gold chains and styled with bantu knots, making her slimmer frame more noticeable than the…

The Federal Government on Tuesday said it is intensifying efforts to bridge the gap for out-of-school children through coordinated reforms and targeted interventions across the country. The Minister of Education Dr. Tunji Alausa, stated this on Tuesday at the ongoing 2026 Basic Education in Nigeria Boot Camp Summit, a three-day event holding in Jos, the Plateau State capital, from April 28–30. The summit is themed “Enhancing Access to Inclusive Quality Education and Bridging the Gap for Out of School Children in Nigeria”. “This gathering comes at a defining moment in our nation’s education journey, as we collectively seek sustainable solutions to…

Nigeria’s internet registry has urged businesses, government agencies and media organisations to adopt .ng, the country’s local domain name, warning that continued reliance on foreign-hosted domains is fuelling economic leakage and undermining digital sovereignty. .ng is Nigeria’s country code top-level domain, the official internet suffix used to identify websites connected to Nigeria (e.g., www.punch.ng, www.justice.ng, etc. They are not the same as www.punch.com, www.punch.net, or www.justice.com). Speaking at a media advocacy and capacity-building session in Lagos, the president of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association, Adesola Akinsanya, said the widespread use of generic top-level domains such as .com and .org means…

In this interview, PATRICK ODEY speaks with the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Akwa Ibom State chapter, Dr Aniekan Peter, on underfunding in the health sector, the growing wave of medical brain drain, quackery, and other challenges confronting Nigeria’s healthcare system The Nigerian Medical Association has consistently lamented underfunding as the bane of the health sector. Why is this imperative? We need to prioritise the health sector because it concerns human beings. The two most important sectors the government should prioritise are health and education, as they go hand in hand. The more people are educated, the more they…