FG rolls out 100MB daily free data for students

The Federal Government has announced plans to provide Nigerian students with 100 megabytes of free data every day to access selected educational websites and digital learning platforms from October 1, 2026.

The initiative, developed by the Nigerian Communications Commission in collaboration with telecommunications operators and the Federal Ministry of Education, will initially target students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

Minister of Education, Dr 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 programme, participating mobile network operators will provide beneficiaries with a daily 100MB data allowance that can be used to access government-approved educational websites and platforms without attracting data charges.

The minister said the programme would subsequently be expanded to cover other categories of learners.

He said the initiative was designed to address the cost of internet access, which he identified as one of the major obstacles limiting students from low-income households from benefiting from 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,” Alausa said.

He said the policy could effectively turn smartphones, tablets and computers into classrooms and digital libraries by allowing students to access learning materials without worrying about data costs.

The minister, however, disclosed that the government was also developing measures to regulate internet access for children below 16 years, with further details expected to be announced.

He said content accessible to children must be “appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum.”

Alausa said the government was simultaneously advancing the digital transformation of the education sector through initiatives including the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.

He added that more than 240,000 schools had so far been geo-mapped and geolocated, while the Annual School Census was being digitised to improve the collection 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 which educational platforms would qualify for zero-rated access.

He listed learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher-training platforms and technical and vocational education platforms among the categories expected to benefit.

“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,” Shuaibu said.

According to him, the scheme will enable students in public secondary and tertiary institutions to access selected learning resources without paying for the data used on those platforms.

He said operators and participating platforms would also be required to comply with existing telecommunications regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data privacy.

The framework, he added, contains provisions aimed at protecting net neutrality, promoting fair competition and ensuring that the initiative remains inclusive.

The NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said affordability remained a major reason millions of Nigerian students could not consistently use online educational resources.

She said the new initiative was intended 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.

Makama said the NCC, mobile network operators under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, the Ministries of Communications and Education and other stakeholders had conducted 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 programme as a major step towards reducing the cost of digital education, particularly for learners in underserved communities.

He pledged the ministry’s continued support for initiatives aimed at expanding affordable connectivity and 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.”