ABUJA, NIGERIA– Nigerian students will start getting 100 megabytes (MB) of free daily information from October 1, 2026, to gain access to approved academic websites and digital learning platforms under a government-backed zero-rating initiative.
The initiative, driven by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecom Business of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Federal Ministry of Education, will at first target trainees in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Alausa, disclosed the commencement date on Thursday during the launch of the Effort for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria in Abuja.
Under the framework, taking part mobile network operators will provide eligible students with 100MB of zero-rated data daily, equivalent to about N100 each day or N3,000 monthly, for access to approved educational platforms.
Alausa said the plan would cover about five million students, representing a regular monthly worth of about N15 billion and a yearly worth of N180 billion.
“Let me make it clear that ALTON will supply every student with 100mb of information daily which will total up to N3,000 monthly,” the minister stated.
The minister explained the programme as more than a telecommunications intervention, saying it was designed to address academic exclusion and enhance access to digital knowing opportunities.
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“Today’s launch represents far more than telecoms effort. It is an education intervention. It is an addition intervention and most notably, it is a financial investment in the future of countless young Nigerians,” he stated.
Alausa stated the government might not develop a 21st-century education system with 20th-century tools, worrying that access to information had ended up being necessary to handling Nigeria’s education system and preparing young people for a significantly digital economy.
He said the zero-rated programme would at first cover senior secondary and tertiary students before being expanded to other classifications of students.
“Our aspiration needs to be that, ultimately, no Nigerian student should be rejected access to quality academic material simply since she or he can not pay for information,” he said.
He kept in mind that internet information costs remained a major barrier to digital education, especially for kids from low-income households. He stated zero-rated access could turn cellphones, tablets and computer systems into class and libraries for learners.
NCC Director of Policy, Competitors and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission would jointly authorize the instructional websites and platforms to be whitelisted under the effort.
He stated eligible platforms would include finding out management systems, digital libraries, instructional repositories, instructor advancement platforms, and technical and vocational training platforms.
“The structure also embraces the operator’s consult model for the preliminary rollout of the initiative. Under this design, a daily zero-rated data allowance of 100 MB will be offered by the participating MNOs for usage on authorized sites and platforms,” Shuaibu said.
He added that the scheme would offer zero-rated access to public secondary schools and public tertiary organizations, while requiring compliance with telecoms regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer defense, child protection and data protection.
Earlier, NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, stated millions of students were not able to gain access to digital learning platforms due to the fact that of cost obstacles.
She stated the effort was meant to make sure that learners were not left out from academic content due to the fact that of their area or home earnings.
“The Zero-Rated Access Effort exists to eliminate that line. Its concept is easy: no student should be shut out of academic material due to the fact that of where they live or what their family earns,” Makama stated.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, represented by Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Adetunji Adeyemo, explained the initiative as a considerable action towards making digital education more budget friendly and available, particularly for learners in underserved neighborhoods.
In his closing remarks, NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Solutions, Abraham Oshadami, identified MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom among the major mobile network operators supporting the programme.
He thanked the operators for their dedication to implementing the initiative through free data allowances that will allow students to gain access to approved academic platforms.
Alausa also disclosed that the government was dealing with steps to regulate web gain access to for children below 16 years, with additional information expected to be announced. He stated instructional material readily available to kids must be “proper, trustworthy, safe and aligned with our academic goals and our curriculum.”