The Federal Government has announced that eligible Nigerian students will receive 100 megabytes 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 in partnership with telecommunications operators and the Federal Ministry of Education, will initially cover students in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the commencement date on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria initiative.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said.
Under the programme, participating mobile network operators will provide a daily 100MB zero-rated data allowance that beneficiaries can use to access approved educational websites and platforms.
The programme is expected to initially cover about five million eligible students, according to details released at the launch.
Alausa said the initiative was aimed at removing the cost of internet data as a barrier to digital education, particularly for students from low-income households.
“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 programme would initially focus on senior secondary and tertiary students before being expanded to other categories of learners.
Alausa stressed that educational platforms covered by the scheme must provide content that is credible, safe and aligned with the national curriculum.
The NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission would jointly approve platforms that would be whitelisted under the initiative.
He said eligible platforms would include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher-development platforms and technical and vocational training platforms.
Shuaibu said the framework would also require compliance with telecommunications regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection.
It will also include safeguards relating to net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said millions of students had been unable to access digital learning resources because of affordability challenges.
She said the initiative was designed to ensure that learners were not excluded from educational content because of where they lived or their household income.
Makama said the NCC, telecommunications operators, the Federal Ministries of Communications and Education and other partners had conducted research, testing and consultations before developing the framework.
The Federal Government had earlier subjected the proposed initiative to stakeholder consultations, with education, telecommunications, technology and development organisations backing the plan to expand access to digital learning.
Alausa also said the government was 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 Annual School Census was being digitised to provide information on enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and school safety.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, represented at the event by Adeyemo Adetunji, pledged continued support for programmes promoting digital inclusion and affordable connectivity.
NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, identified MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom among the major operators supporting the programme.
The initiative is expected to begin on October 1, with the Federal Government targeting wider access to digital educational resources as implementation progresses.
