The Federal Government has announced that students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions will receive 100MB of free data daily 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 under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Education, is aimed at reducing the cost of internet access for students.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja during the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
Alausa said the service would become available to eligible students from October 1.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” the minister said.
Under the initiative, participating mobile network operators will provide students with a daily 100MB data allowance that can be used on approved educational websites and platforms without the students being charged for the data.
The minister said the allowance was equivalent to N100 daily and N3,000 monthly per student.
He said the programme could cost participating telecommunications operators about N15 billion monthly and N180 billion annually if extended to five million students.
“Today’s launch represents much more than telecommunications initiative. It is an education intervention. It is an inclusion intervention and most importantly, it is an investment in the future of millions of young Nigerians,” Alausa said.
He said the high cost of internet data remained a major barrier to digital learning, particularly for students from low-income households.
Alausa said providing free access to educational platforms would enable students to use mobile phones, tablets and computers as learning tools without worrying about the cost of data.
According to him, the programme will initially cover public senior secondary 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,” he said.
The NCC Director of Policy, Competitions and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the commission and the Federal Ministry of Education would jointly determine the educational platforms to be included in the programme.
He said the approved platforms could include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational training platforms.
Shuaibu said the initial rollout would adopt a model under which participating mobile network operators provide a daily zero-rated 100MB allowance for access to approved websites and platforms.
The initiative will also be subject to telecommunications regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection, while safeguards will be maintained for net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
Earlier, the NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said millions of students were unable to access digital learning platforms because of the cost of internet data.
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She said the initiative was designed to ensure that students were not excluded from educational content because of their location or household income.
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 a major step towards making digital education more affordable.
He pledged the ministry’s continued support for programmes promoting digital inclusion, affordable connectivity and access to knowledge.
The NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, identified MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom among the major operators supporting the initiative.
The government said the programme would form part of broader efforts to expand digitalisation across Nigeria’s education sector.
About the Author
Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
