FG sets October 1 take-off for 180 billion naira annual students’ free educational data

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

The Federal Government has fixed October 1, 2026, for the commencement of free educational data access for Nigerian students under the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content initiative.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced this at Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, on Thursday at the official launch of the initiative organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

According to him the programme would initially provide about five million eligible students with 100 megabytes of free data daily to access approved educational platforms and digital learning content.

“The 100MB daily allocation for five million students amounts to about 15 billion megabytes of data monthly and represents an estimated N180 billion in data value annually,” Alausa said. 

The Minister described the initiative as a major intervention in education, particularly for students in underserved communities and families unable to afford regular internet data.

“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1, 2026,” he said.

He said the initiative had moved from discussion to implementation, driven by the need to democratise access to educational resources regardless of a learner’s location or economic circumstances.

He noted that digitalisation has become central to Nigeria’s Education Sector Renewal Initiative, stating that Nigeria could not build a 21st-century education system with 20th-century tools.

Alausa said more than 240,000 schools had been geomapped and geolocated, while the digitised Nigeria Education Management Information System was providing data on enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries and connectivity. 

The Minister added that the Learner Identification Number (LIN) would provide every Nigerian learner with a unique education identity and enable government to track their educational journey from primary to tertiary level.

He said these reforms would have limited impact if students could not afford the data required to access digital resources.

“By enabling learners to access approved educational platforms and content without bearing the cost of data, we are removing one of the most significant barriers to digital learning in Nigeria,” he said.

The initiative will initially cover senior secondary and tertiary students, with plans to extend it to other categories of learners.

Alausa, however, stressed that only credible and safe educational platforms aligned with national curricula should qualify for zero-rating.

He urged stakeholders to measure the programme by its impact on learning outcomes, rather than data consumption alone.

“We must track utilisation. We must understand who is accessing these platforms and who is not, and we must measure the quality of engagement,” he said.

Alausa urged development partners and other stakeholders to recognise the value as a significant additional investment in education.

“The 100MB daily allocation for five million students amounts to about 15 billion megabytes of data monthly and represents an estimated N180 billion in data value annually,” he noted.

The minister said the ultimate goal was to ensure that poverty and geography did not prevent Nigerian children from accessing quality education.

“Let us build a Nigeria where geography does not determine educational opportunity. Let us build a Nigeria where poverty does not prevent a child from accessing knowledge,” he said. 

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The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the initiative was more than connectivity, describing access to knowledge as a foundation for innovation, productivity and economic growth.

“It is not about providing connectivity; it is about giving people connectivity to gain knowledge,” Maida said.

He said he had experienced the convenience of online learning personally through courses he takes, but noted that its benefits would be greater for less privileged Nigerians.

Maida commended telecommunications operators participating in the initiative, saying the industry was continuing to invest heavily in network capacity despite difficult operating conditions.

He disclosed that operators had committed to upgrading about 12,000 sites in 2026, with approximately 70 per cent already completed.

According to him, the NCC would continue to prioritise connectivity in unserved and underserved communities, noting that every newly connected community would provide more students with opportunities to learn digitally.

Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director, National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Engr Adeyemo Olugbenga, pledged the ministry’s continued support for initiatives promoting digital inclusion, affordable connectivity and access to knowledge.

The initiative followed an NCC-led consultation with telecommunications operators, education stakeholders and other industry participants on removing data costs from approved educational websites and platforms.

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