The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions will receive up to 100 megabytes of free data daily to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms from October 1, 2026.
The initiative, known as the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria, is being coordinated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and participating telecommunications operators.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the commencement date on Thursday in Abuja during the official launch of the initiative.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said.
Under the programme, the 100MB daily allocation will be available for use on approved and whitelisted educational platforms. Eligible platforms are expected to include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, as well as technical and vocational training platforms.
The Federal Government said the programme is intended to reduce the cost of internet access, which has become a barrier to digital learning, particularly for students from low-income households.
Alausa said the scheme would initially target students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions before being expanded to other categories of learners.
NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the commission and the Federal Ministry of Education would jointly determine which platforms would be approved for zero-rated access.
The participating mobile network operators will provide the daily data allowance under an operator-sponsored model. MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom have been identified among the operators supporting the initiative.
The NCC said the framework also contains safeguards relating to cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection, data protection, net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
The government is also working on broader digital education programmes, including the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, the Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and the Learner Identification Number initiative. Alausa disclosed that more than 240,000 schools had already been geo-mapped as part of efforts to improve education data and digital planning.
The minister further disclosed that the government was considering measures to regulate internet access for children below 16 years, with more details expected to be announced later.
