The Federal Government will begin giving Nigerian students 100MB of free daily data from October 1, 2026, to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms. Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, confirmed the rollout date on Thursday during the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria in Abuja.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said.
The programme will first cover students in public senior secondary schools and public tertiary institutions. Plans to expand it to more learners will follow later. The free data is zero-rated, meaning it will only work on whitelisted educational platforms. It will not cover social media, YouTube, or general internet browsing unless those sites are specifically approved.
The initiative has the backing of major telecom operators including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom. Representatives from all three companies attended the Abuja event to demonstrate their support. Officials from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the telecom operators signed the partnership agreement to deliver the daily allowance to students.
NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, explained how the framework will work. “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.
Shuaibu added that the Ministry of Education and the NCC will jointly decide which educational platforms will be whitelisted for the free data. The approved list will include technical and vocational education platforms, according to the NCC.
Alausa said the rising cost of internet data has become a major obstacle for many Nigerian students, particularly those from low-income families. He argued that removing data costs for educational websites will make it easier for students to study online using phones, tablets and computers.
“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 added that providing free access to learning resources could turn everyday devices into classrooms and libraries for students across the country.
The minister also revealed that the government is working on measures to regulate internet access for children below the age of 16. “It will be regulating internet access to children below 16 years old,” Alausa said, adding that more details would be announced later. He stressed that any online educational content made available to children must be “appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum.”
NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, thanked the operators for their support in providing free daily data allowances to help students access learning resources at no cost.
Beyond the free data initiative, the Federal Government said it is expanding the digitalisation of education through projects such as the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, the Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System, and the Learner Identification Number. Alausa also disclosed that more than 240,000 schools across Nigeria have already been geo-mapped. The Annual School Census is being digitised to improve data on school enrolment, teachers, classrooms, internet connectivity, libraries, laboratories and school safety.
The announcement comes as students across the country continue to struggle with the cost of data for online learning. The zero-rated initiative is designed to remove that financial barrier for educational content, turning mobile devices into study tools rather than entertainment devices.
According to Pulse.ng.
