The Federal Government has announced plans to remove data charges for millions of Nigerian students accessing approved educational platforms as part of efforts to expand digital learning across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday during the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
Alausa said the initiative was designed to ensure that the cost of internet access would no longer prevent students from benefiting from digital educational resources.
According to the minister, the programme is being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the government’s broader digital transformation of the education sector.
“This initiative goes beyond connectivity. It is about putting learning within reach of children who may otherwise be unable to afford the data required to access it,” Alausa said.
He noted that poverty, geographical location and inadequate access to conventional educational infrastructure should not prevent Nigerian children from obtaining quality education.
The minister explained that with the cost barrier removed, a mobile phone, tablet or computer could effectively become a classroom, library and gateway to educational opportunities.
FG targets Nigeria’s digital education gapThe latest intervention comes amid concerns over Nigeria’s persistent education crisis and the digital divide affecting learners, particularly those in rural and underserved communities.
Alausa said the Federal Ministry of Education was strengthening the digital management and delivery of education through initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.
He, however, stressed that the effectiveness of the government’s digital reforms would ultimately be measured by their impact on learners.“The real measure of digital transformation would be its ability to reach the learner and improve the quality of education,” he said.
Nigeria has previously implemented zero-rated access to selected educational content. The Nigeria Learning Passport, developed by the Federal Government, UNICEF and other partners, provides digital curriculum resources to learners and teachers, helping to extend education beyond traditional classrooms.
FG plans regulated internet access for children under 16In another major announcement, Alausa said the government was planning to introduce regulated internet access for children below the age of 16 as part of efforts to strengthen online child protection.
The minister said the growing use of digital platforms by children had created the need for stronger measures to protect young users from cyberattacks and other online threats.
“At some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years as part of measures to strengthen online child protection,” he said.
The proposed regulation adds a child-safety component to the government’s digital education strategy, with the minister emphasising that expanding access to technology must go hand in hand with protecting children online.
Lawmakers back zero-rated education initiativeThe Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, commended the initiative, describing the high cost of internet data as one of the major obstacles to digital learning in Nigeria.
Akpatason said the House of Representatives would continue supporting policies and legislation aimed at using technology to bridge the education gap, particularly for learners in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, stressed the importance of ensuring that no Nigerian child was excluded from access to knowledge and educational opportunities.
Dandutse also commended the telecommunications industry for supporting education through corporate social responsibility programmes and other initiatives aimed at improving access to learning.
Alausa called for sustained collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications companies, technology firms, development partners, educational institutions and teachers.
He said Nigeria must move beyond producing young people who merely consume technology to developing a generation capable of creating technology, innovating and solving problems.
The minister assured that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the zero-rated access initiative delivers lasting benefits.
He said the ultimate goal was to build an education system where geography would not determine a child’s future, poverty would not prevent access to knowledge and every Nigerian learner would have an opportunity to reach their full potential.
