FG Fixes October 1 Take-Off for Students’ Free Data Scheme

•Beneficiaries to access approved learning platforms with 100MB daily

•Government moves to regulate internet access for under-16s

The Federal Government has fixed October 1, 2026, for the take-off of a free data scheme for about five million Nigerian students.

The initiative will allow eligible learners to access approved educational platforms and digital learning content with 100 megabytes of free data daily.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the commencement date yesterday in Abuja during the launch of the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content initiative.

The programme will initially target senior secondary and tertiary students, with plans to extend the benefit to other categories of learners.

Alausa said the scheme would tackle the cost of internet data, which he identified as a major barrier to digital learning.

“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 policy discussions to implementation as part of efforts to democratise access to educational resources.

According to the minister, students should not lose access to quality learning because of their location or financial circumstances.

He said digitalisation remains central to the ministry’s Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.

Alausa noted that Nigeria could not build a 21st-century education system with 20th-century tools.

He disclosed that more than 240,000 schools had undergone geomapping and geolocation as part of the government’s digital education reforms.

The minister also cited the digitised Nigeria Education Management Information System, which provides data on enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries and connectivity.

He said the Learner Identification Number would give every Nigerian learner a unique education identity.

The system, he added, would enable government to track learners from primary school through tertiary education.

Alausa 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 minister said only credible, safe and curriculum-aligned platforms would qualify for the zero-rating programme.

He also urged stakeholders to measure the initiative by its effect on learning rather than the volume of data consumed.

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

The 100MB daily allocation for five million students amounts to about 15 billion megabytes of data each month.

Alausa said the figure represents an estimated N180 billion worth of data annually.

He said the government’s broader objective was to ensure that poverty and geography did not determine access to education.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Aminu Maida, said the Zero-rated programme goes beyond providing internet connectivity.

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

He said access to digital learning could drive ideas, innovation, productivity and economic growth.

Maida also commended telecommunications operators for their investments in network expansion despite challenging operating conditions.

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

Representing the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the Director, National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Engr Adeyemo Adetunji Olugbenga, pledged continued support for digital inclusion.

The Chairman, House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, also commended the initiative.

Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, stressed the need to ensure that Nigerian children were not excluded from educational opportunities.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is planning measures to regulate internet access for children below 16.

Alausa said the proposed regulation would help protect children from cyberattacks and other online threats.

He said the government recognised that increased internet access creates opportunities for learning but also exposes children to risks.

The minister said relevant security authorities would provide further details of the proposed measures in the coming days or weeks.

He stressed that digital expansion and child protection must move together as technology becomes increasingly important to education.

Alausa said the government would continue working with the NCC, telecom operators, educational institutions and other stakeholders to expand digital learning while protecting children online.

The initiative followed consultations led by the NCC with telecom operators, education stakeholders and other industry participants on removing data costs from approved educational websites and platforms.