The Federal Government has announced October 1, 2026, as the commencement date for a programme that will give Nigerian students free access to approved educational websites and digital learning platforms.
The government also revealed plans to introduce measures regulating internet access for children below the age of 16, although details of the proposed regulation have not yet been made public.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria, held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
Under the initiative, participating mobile network operators are expected to provide eligible students with 100 megabytes of free data every day for accessing educational websites and platforms approved under the programme.
Alausa announced the commencement date while explaining the government’s plans to remove the cost of internet data as a barrier to digital learning.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026.”
The minister said the programme would initially benefit learners in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions before being extended to other categories of students across the country.
He described the cost of data as one of the major challenges limiting access to digital education, particularly for children from low-income families.
“A digital platform has little value to a child who cannot afford the data required to access it. An excellent online lesson cannot transform the life of a student who is unable to connect to it,” he said.
Alausa said the government’s objective was to ensure that financial limitations did not prevent Nigerian students from accessing quality educational resources online.
“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,” he added.
The minister also gave a preview of a separate government measure aimed at regulating internet access for children under 16, saying more information would be provided by security authorities.
“At this point, I’m just going to give a sneak preview of what will come that will be announced by the security people in the coming days or week. It will regulate internet access for children below 16 years old.”
He further stated, “The content made available to our children must be appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum.”
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Alausa added that “there will be regulated access to the internet for every child in Nigeria that’s below the age of 16 years.”
He did not explain how the proposed regulation would be enforced or what specific restrictions would apply.
Meanwhile, the Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis at the Nigerian Communications Commission, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the zero-rated initiative would provide students in public secondary and tertiary institutions with free access to approved educational platforms.
The programme is being implemented through a partnership involving mobile network operators under the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria.
Shuaibu said the Federal Ministry of Education and the NCC would jointly determine the platforms that would be whitelisted for the programme.
The approved categories are expected to include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, as well as technical and vocational training platforms.
He said, “The framework also adopts the operator’s cost 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 the framework also addressed telecommunications regulations, cybersecurity, consumer and child protection, data protection, net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
In her welcome address, NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said affordability remained a major reason millions of students were unable to benefit from online educational resources.
She noted that digital libraries, online courses and virtual classrooms had become increasingly important to modern education, making internet connectivity an essential part of 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.
She said the initiative was developed through collaboration between the NCC, participating mobile network operators under ALTON, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, represented by the Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Adetunji Adeyemo, described the programme as an important step towards making digital education more affordable and accessible.
He pledged the ministry’s continued support for initiatives focused on digital inclusion, affordable connectivity, innovation and access to knowledge, particularly for learners in underserved communities.
In his closing remarks, the NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, commended ALTON and the chief executives of MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom for supporting the programme.
He said the participating telecommunications companies had committed to providing the daily free data allowance that would enable eligible learners to access the approved educational platforms.