The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government has announced that Nigerian students will begin receiving 100 megabytes (MB) of free daily data from October 1, 2026, to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms.
The initiative, being implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in partnership with telecommunications operators and the Federal Ministry of Education, comes few months to the 2027 general elections.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the commencement date on Thursday at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria in Abuja.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said, acknowledging the contribution of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to the programme.
Under the framework, participating mobile network operators will provide a daily zero-rated data allowance of 100MB, which beneficiaries can use to access approved educational websites and platforms without incurring data charges.
Speaking further, Alausa said the initiative would begin with senior secondary school and tertiary institution students before being extended to other categories of learners.
“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 noted that the cost of internet data had become a major barrier to digital education, particularly for children from low-income households.
According to the minister, providing access to educational platforms without data charges could transform mobile phones, tablets and computers into classrooms and libraries for students who might otherwise struggle to access digital resources.
The minister also disclosed that the government was working on measures to regulate internet access for children below the age of 16, with further details expected to be announced.
He said educational content made available to children must be “appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum.”
Alausa added, “It will be regulating internet access to children below 16 years old,” saying further announcements would follow on the proposed measure.
The minister said the government was also expanding the digitalisation of the education sector through the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and the Learner Identification Number.
He disclosed that more than 240,000 schools had been geo-mapped and geolocated across the country, while the government was digitising the Annual School Census to obtain information on enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and school safety.
The NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission would jointly approve the educational platforms to be whitelisted under the initiative.
He said eligible platforms would include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, as well as technical and vocational training platforms.
“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 usageon approved websites and platforms,” Shuaibu said.
He explained that the scheme would provide zero-rated access to public secondary schools and public tertiary institutions, giving students access to selected learning resources at no cost.
According to him, the framework also requires compliance with telecommunications laws and regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection.
It also contains safeguards on net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity, aimed at ensuring that the initiative does not undermine existing regulatory protections within the telecommunications sector.
Earlier, the NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said millions of students were unable to access digital learning platforms because of affordability challenges.
