By TheDailyNewsHub
The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian students will begin receiving 100MB of free data every day from October 1, 2026, under a new initiative designed to improve access to digital education.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
Under the initiative, participating telecommunications operators will provide a daily 100MB data allowance that students can use to access approved educational websites, learning management systems and other authorised digital learning platforms without paying data charges.
The programme will initially target students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, with plans to extend the initiative to other categories of learners.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said at the launch.
The initiative is being implemented through collaboration between the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education and participating telecommunications operators.
According to the NCC, educational platforms covered under the programme will include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher-development platforms, as well as technical and vocational training platforms.
The NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, explained that the framework would provide a daily zero-rated allowance of 100MB for use specifically on approved websites and platforms.
This means the 100MB should not be understood as unrestricted free internet that students can use for social media, streaming, gaming or any website of their choice. Rather, the benefit is designed specifically for accessing educational platforms and content approved under the programme.
The government says the initiative is aimed at addressing the cost of internet data, which has become a significant barrier to digital learning, particularly for students from low-income households.
Alausa said the government wants to ensure that a student’s financial circumstances or geographical location does not determine whether they can access educational resources online.
The minister also stressed the importance of ensuring that digital educational content available to learners is credible, safe, appropriate and consistent with Nigeria’s educational objectives and curriculum.
The NCC said the programme contains safeguards relating to cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection, alongside measures concerning net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
The initiative follows consultations that began earlier this year between the NCC, telecommunications operators, education authorities and other stakeholders on creating a framework for zero-rated access to educational content. The consultations focused on issues including eligible platforms, implementation models, consumer protection and regulatory safeguards.
Major telecommunications operators, including MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom, have been identified as supporting the implementation of the programme.
The Federal Government is also expanding the digitalisation of the education sector through initiatives including the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, the Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and the Learner Identification Number.
Alausa disclosed that more than 240,000 schools had already been geo-mapped and geolocated across Nigeria, while the government is digitising the Annual School Census to collect information on enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and school safety.
The government hopes the free educational-data initiative will make it easier for students to use mobile phones, tablets and computers as tools for learning and research.
If successfully implemented, the programme could provide millions of Nigerian learners with greater access to online educational resources while reducing one of the financial barriers to digital education.
The initiative is scheduled to commence nationwide on October 1, 2026, beginning with eligible students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
TheDailyNewsHub will continue to provide updates on the implementation of the programme, including details on eligibility and the educational platforms covered under the zero-rated access scheme.