The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says Nigerian students will begin accessing approved educational platforms and content free of data charges from October 1, 2026.
The initiative, known as the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content programme, will provide users with a daily allowance of 100 megabytes for approved websites and platforms during its initial rollout.
NCC Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, said the initiative was aimed at removing the cost of internet data as a barrier to accessing educational resources.
Maida spoke in Abuja at the launch of the programme, saying affordable connectivity was critical to the Federal Government’s human capital development agenda and its ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
“This initiative is part of a bigger scheme to ensure that education is delivered to every citizen, not just consumers of telecom services, but every citizen in the country, to ensure that nobody is left behind in terms of educating citizens and ensuring that we can get the maximum productivity out of every Nigerian towards building a more productive economy and achieving that $1 trillion economy vision under His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
He said although the initial 100MB daily allocation might appear small, its cumulative impact across millions of students over several years would represent a significant investment by the telecommunications industry in Nigeria’s future.
According to Maida, improved access to educational platforms would help reduce disparities between areas facing teacher shortages and those with greater teaching capacity by connecting learners with online educational resources and instructors.
He added that the programme would contribute to the future productivity of the economy, noting that today’s students “would become tomorrow’s innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders”.
Maida acknowledged the financial commitment required from mobile network operators but said the long-term benefits of a more skilled and productive population would outweigh the immediate cost to the industry.
On sustainability, he said safeguards had been introduced, including the 100MB daily cap and measures to ensure approved platforms were optimised to consume minimal data.
He also urged educational platforms to minimise advertisements and other features that could unnecessarily consume data, stressing that available bandwidth should be focused primarily on educational content.
The NCC boss said the commission was also promoting responsible internet use, particularly among children and other vulnerable groups, while acknowledging that online safety remained an evolving global concern.
In his keynote address, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a major intervention capable of democratising access to education, particularly for children in underserved and remote communities.
Alausa said the programme would initially target learners at senior secondary and tertiary levels, with plans to extend it to other categories of learners.
He linked the initiative to the Federal Ministry of Education’s Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESTRI), stressing that digitalisation and data were central to transforming the country’s education system.
“At the Federal Ministry of Education, we are implementing this vision through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, otherwise known as NESTRI, which provides a strategic framework for transforming education in the country.
“Central to this transformation is data and digitalisation. We recognise that we cannot build a 21st-century education system using 20th-century tools. We cannot effectively manage an education system as large and complex as Nigeria without relying on data, and we cannot prepare our children for an increasingly digital economy if millions of them remain excluded from digital learning opportunities.”
The minister said more than 240,000 schools had been geomapped and geolocated under government education data initiatives, while efforts were underway to provide learners with unique education identities and improve the collection and use of education data.
He said zero-rating approved educational platforms would help turn mobile phones, tablets and computers from communication devices into classrooms and gateways to knowledge.
Alausa, however, stressed that access must be accompanied by quality and safety, warning that not every platform describing itself as educational should automatically qualify for zero-rated access.
Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Engr Adeyemo Adetunji Olugbenga, described the initiative as a significant step towards making digital education more affordable, accessible and inclusive.
He said the programme demonstrated the importance of collaboration among government, the telecommunications industry, educational institutions, technology platforms and other stakeholders in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation.
Olugbenga assured the NCC and other stakeholders of the ministry’s continued support for programmes promoting digital inclusion, innovation, affordable connectivity and access to knowledge.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would improve the lives of Nigerian learners and contribute to a more digital, skilled and knowledge-driven society.
The launch brought together stakeholders from the education and telecommunications sectors, including representatives of telecom operators, universities, polytechnics, regulatory agencies and other government institutions.
