Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa Alausa, Minister of Education 

The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions will have access to 100MB of free internet data every day from October 1, 2026.

The initiative is part of a new government-backed effort to remove the cost of internet access as a barrier to digital education in the country.

Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Thursday in Abuja while unveiling 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.

The programme is being coordinated by the Nigerian Communications Commission in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education, mobile network operators and other stakeholders in the telecommunications and education sectors.

Under the arrangement, students will be able to use the daily 100MB allocation to visit educational websites and approved digital learning platforms without paying for the data consumed on those platforms.

Alausa said the scheme would be introduced first for senior secondary and tertiary students before being expanded to other groups 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 identified the affordability of internet services as one of the factors limiting students’ participation in digital learning, particularly those from poorer households.

The minister said the zero-rated service could expand the use of internet-enabled devices for education, allowing phones, tablets and computers to provide students with access to learning materials similar to what they would find in classrooms and libraries.

Beyond the free data programme, Alausa disclosed that the government was also considering regulations on internet access for children under 16.

He said such a policy would be accompanied by measures to ensure that material available to children meets acceptable educational and safety standards.

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

He added, “It will be regulating internet access to children below 16 years old,” while noting that additional details on the proposed regulation would be announced subsequently.

The minister also highlighted other digital initiatives being implemented to strengthen the country’s education system, including the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and the Learner Identification Number.

According to him, the government has already geo-mapped and geolocated more than 240,000 schools nationwide.

He said work was also ongoing to digitise the Annual School Census, which would provide more reliable information on issues such as student enrolment, teaching personnel, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, internet connectivity and school safety.

Providing details of how the free data scheme would operate, the NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said educational platforms would be selected and approved jointly by the commission and the Federal Ministry of Education.

The platforms expected to benefit from the arrangement include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational training services.

“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.

He said the arrangement would cover students in public secondary and tertiary institutions, giving them access to selected educational resources without incurring data charges.

Shuaibu added that the participating organisations would still be required to comply with existing telecommunications regulations, including provisions relating to cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection.

The framework, he said, also provides safeguards relating to net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.

Earlier, NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the cost of connectivity had left millions of students unable to take advantage of online educational resources.

According to her, the new programme was intended to ensure that neither a student’s location nor the financial position of their family determines their ability to access approved digital learning materials.

“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.

She said the framework followed extensive work involving the NCC, mobile network operators operating under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, the Federal Ministries of Communications and Education, and other stakeholders.

The parties, she said, undertook research, benchmarking, testing and consultations before arriving at the framework for the programme.

Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Adetunji Adeyemo, described the programme as a major move towards widening access to digital education.

Adeyemo said the initiative would be especially important for students in underserved communities, adding that the ministry would continue to support efforts aimed at improving digital inclusion, affordable connectivity and access to knowledge.

MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom were identified as some of the major mobile network operators backing the initiative.

The NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, disclosed this in his closing remarks and commended the operators for their “commitment to support its implementation by providing free data allowances for learners to access approved platforms.”

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