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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it will commence zero-rated access to approved educational platforms and content for Nigerian students from October 1, 2026.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, who spoke at the launch of the initiative, said eligible students would receive 100MB of data daily to access educational content without bearing the cost of data.
He said the initiative was not merely about providing connectivity but about giving Nigerians, particularly young people, the opportunity to gain knowledge, develop ideas and contribute to innovation and economic growth.
He explained that access to knowledge would enable people to generate ideas that could translate into innovation and eventually economic growth, adding that education was essential to improving the productivity of Nigeria’s human capital.
Maida said he could relate to the importance of online learning, noting that he personally took several online courses annually because of the convenience and access to knowledge they provided. He, however, said the impact of such connectivity was even greater for people who were less privileged and lacked access to learning opportunities.
The NCC boss also linked the initiative to efforts to address shortages of teachers in some parts of the country through connectivity. According to him, connectivity could enable teachers in areas with surplus manpower to support learners in regions facing shortages.
On sustainability, Maida thanked telecommunications operators participating in the initiative, noting that the industry was operating in a difficult environment and had nevertheless continued to invest in network capacity.
He said operators had committed to upgrading about 12,000 sites in 2026, with about 70 per cent of the target already completed. Maida said the upgrades remained necessary because of growing demand for telecommunications services, adding that the commission would continue to work with operators to ensure sustained investment in network capacity.
He said the zero-rated education programme was part of the industry’s contribution to society, stressing that it was aimed at “paying it forward” by investing in the future of Nigerian children.
“It is giving it back to the future of Nigerians. It’s these young children who, by giving them connectivity to access educational content, to make them more productive and more useful in our economy today and in our economy tomorrow. Paying it forward,” he stated.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the initiative would help make digital education more affordable, accessible and inclusive, particularly for learners in underserved communities.
Represented by the Director, National Frequency Management Council Secretariat in the ministry, Engr. Adeyemo Olugbenga, the Minister said the programme demonstrated the importance of collaboration among governments, the education sector, educational institutions, technology platforms and other stakeholders in advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
“Essential to effective learning, this initiative therefore represents significant steps toward making digital education more affordable, accessible, and inclusive, particularly for learners in underserved communities,” Tijani said.
He assured the NCC and other stakeholders of the ministry’s continued support for programmes promoting digital inclusion, innovation, affordable connectivity and access to knowledge.
Tijani said the ministry was confident that the initiative would make a meaningful difference in the lives of Nigerian learners and contribute to the development of a more digital, skilled and knowledge-driven society.
On his part, Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a major intervention in the education sector, saying it would democratise access to learning resources for children regardless of their location or economic circumstances.
Alausa said the initiative followed discussions on how to provide educational resources to children in the remotest parts of the country, particularly those from indigent households who could not afford the data required for digital learning.
The minister announced that the zero-rated access would become available to Nigerian students from October 1, 2026, beginning with learners at senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, before being extended to other categories of learners.
He said the initiative would remove one of the significant barriers to digital learning by enabling learners to access approved educational platforms and content without paying for data.
Alausa said the programme was more than a telecommunications intervention, describing it as an education and inclusion initiative and an investment in the future of millions of young Nigerians.
He said the Federal Government was implementing the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, with data and digitalisation at the centre of efforts to transform the education system.
According to him, more than 240,000 schools have been geomapped and geolocated across the country, while the government is implementing the Nigeria Education Data Initiative and digitalising the Nigeria Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
He said the initiatives would enable policymakers to obtain information on school enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and other critical indicators for better planning and intervention.
Alausa also said the government was implementing a Learner Identification Number to provide Nigerian learners with unique education identities and enable their educational journeys to be tracked from primary to tertiary education.
He, however, stressed that zero-rated access must not mean unrestricted access to every platform claiming to offer educational content.
“The content made available to our children must be credible, safe, and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum,” he said.
Alausa said the government would also monitor utilisation of the platforms, identify who was accessing them and assess whether increased digital access was translating into improved learning outcomes.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that geography, poverty or disability did not determine a child’s access to quality education.
He urged deeper collaboration between the education and telecommunications sectors, saying connectivity was increasingly becoming as important to education as classrooms, textbooks and laboratories.
