The Federal Government has announced plans to provide Nigerian students with 100 megabytes of free data every day to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms from October 1, 2026.
The initiative, known as the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content Initiative, is being implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission in collaboration with telecommunications operators and the Federal Ministry of Education.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the official launch of the initiative.Alausa said the programme would initially cover students in public senior secondary schools and public tertiary institutions, before being expanded to other categories of learners.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” the minister said.Under the programme, participating mobile network operators will provide eligible students with a daily 100MB zero-rated data allowance, which can be used to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms without incurring data charges.
The minister said the initiative was designed to address the affordability barrier that prevents many Nigerian students, particularly those from low-income households, from accessing digital educational resources.
He said the government’s objective was to ensure that no Nigerian learner was denied access to quality educational content because of an inability to afford internet data.
According to Alausa, the initiative could transform smartphones, tablets and computers into virtual classrooms and libraries for students across the country.He explained that the government was also working on measures to regulate internet access for children below the age of 16.
Alausa said the government wanted educational content available to young learners to be “appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum.”He added that further details on the proposed regulation of internet access for children under 16 would be announced subsequently.
The minister also disclosed that the government was accelerating the digitalisation of Nigeria’s education sector through initiatives including the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.
He said more than 240,000 schools had been geo-mapped and geolocated across the country, while efforts were ongoing to digitise the Annual School Census.
The digitised census, according to him, would provide data on school enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and school safety.
NCC Lists Platforms to BenefitThe NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission would jointly determine the educational websites and platforms that would be whitelisted under the programme.
He said eligible platforms would include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, and technical and vocational training platforms.
Shuaibu explained that the initial rollout would adopt the operators’ consult model, under which participating mobile network operators would provide students with the daily 100MB zero-rated allowance.
He said the framework would enable students in public secondary schools and tertiary institutions to access selected educational resources without paying for the data used on those platforms.
The initiative, he added, would operate within existing telecommunications regulations, including requirements relating to cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection.
It would also incorporate safeguards relating to net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.NCC: Millions Struggle With Data CostsEarlier, the NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said millions of Nigerian students were unable to access digital learning platforms because of the cost of internet data.
She said the zero-rated access initiative was introduced to ensure that learners were not excluded from educational content because of their location or household income.
Makama said the NCC, participating mobile network operators under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, the Federal Ministries of Communications and Education and other stakeholders had undertaken research, benchmarking, testing and consultations before developing the framework.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, represented by the Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Adetunji Adeyemo, described the initiative as an important step towards improving digital inclusion and making education more accessible.
He pledged the ministry’s continued support for programmes aimed at expanding affordable connectivity and access to knowledge, particularly in underserved communities.
In his closing remarks, the NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, identified MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom among the major mobile network operators supporting the initiative.
He commended the operators for their commitment to providing free data allowances to enable learners to access approved educational platforms.The initiative is expected to take effect nationwide from October 1, 2026.
