The Federal Government says Nigerian students will receive 100 megabytes (MB) of free data daily to access selected educational websites and digital learning platforms from October 1, 2026.
The initiative, developed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with telecommunications operators and the Federal Ministry of Education, will initially benefit students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said.
Under the initiative, participating mobile network operators will provide eligible students with a daily 100MB data allowance to access government-approved educational websites and digital platforms without incurring data charges.
Alausa said the programme would initially focus on students in public secondary and tertiary institutions before being expanded to other categories of learners.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at addressing the cost of internet access, which remains a major barrier preventing students from low-income households from fully participating in digital education.
“Our ambition must be that, ultimately, no Nigerian learner should be denied access to quality educational content simply because he or she cannot afford data,” the minister said.
He said the initiative could transform smartphones, tablets and computers into classrooms and digital libraries by giving students access to learning materials without the burden of data costs.
The minister, however, said the government was also developing measures to regulate internet access for children below the age of 16, with further details expected to be made public.
He stressed the need to ensure that digital content available to children was “appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum.”
Alausa said the Federal Government was also pursuing the digital transformation of the education sector through initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.
He disclosed that more than 240,000 schools had been geo-mapped and geolocated, while the Annual School Census was being digitised.
According to him, the digitisation of the census would improve the collection and management of data on pupils, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and school safety.
The NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the commission and the Ministry of Education would jointly determine the educational platforms that would qualify for zero-rated access under the programme.
Shuaibu listed learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher-training platforms, and technical and vocational education platforms among the categories expected to benefit from the initiative.
“The framework also adopts the operator’s consult model for the initial rollout of the initiative. Under this model, a daily zero-rated data allowance of 100 MB will be provided by the participating MNOs for usage on approved websites and platforms,” he said.
He explained that the arrangement would enable students in public secondary and tertiary institutions to access selected educational resources without paying for the data consumed on the approved platforms.
Shuaibu added that telecommunications operators and participating platforms would be required to comply with existing regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data privacy.
He said the framework also contained provisions to safeguard net neutrality, promote fair competition and ensure that the programme remained inclusive.
The NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the cost of internet access remained a significant factor limiting millions of Nigerian students from consistently using online educational resources.
She said the zero-rated access initiative was designed to remove financial and geographical barriers to digital learning.
“The Zero-Rated Access Initiative exists to erase that line. Its principle is simple: no learner should be shut out of educational content because of where they live or what their family earns,” Makama said.
According to her, the NCC, mobile network operators under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, the Ministries of Communications and Education, and other stakeholders carried out research, testing, benchmarking and consultations before finalising the framework.
Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, the Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Adetunji Adeyemo, described the initiative as a major step towards reducing the cost of digital education, particularly for learners in underserved communities.
Adeyemo pledged the ministry’s continued support for programmes aimed at expanding affordable connectivity and promoting digital inclusion.
The NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, said MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom were among the major mobile network operators supporting the rollout.
Oshadami commended the operators for their “commitment to support its implementation by providing free data allowances for learners to access approved platforms.”
