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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a zero-rated data initiative that will give eligible users up to 100 megabytes of free daily data to access approved educational platforms and digital learning content.
The initiative was contained in a press statement, 2026/Vol. 2/No.24, signed by Nnenna Ukoha, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, and made available to Daily Sun on September 11, 2026.
Under the Operator-Sponsored Model, participating mobile network operators will provide the daily 100MB allowance for access to approved educational websites and platforms. This translates to about 700MB of educational data weekly, 3GB monthly and up to 36.5GB annually for a learner who uses the full daily allocation.
The NCC said the initiative is designed to reduce the cost barrier to digital education, widen access to learning resources and bridge disparities in educational opportunities across the country.
Approved platforms will include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational training services.
Speaking at the launch, NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, said affordable internet access was essential to ensuring Nigerians could benefit fully from government programmes aimed at developing digital skills and human capital.
“We need to appreciate how critical education is to economic development because of the role of human capital,” Maida said, adding that President Bola Tinubu had made the development of human capital central to the Federal Government’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy.
Maida said the 100MB allocation might appear small when viewed on a daily basis, but would represent a significant investment when multiplied across millions of learners.
He said the initiative could also help address disparities in the distribution of teachers and educational resources by connecting learners to teachers and learning materials regardless of their location.
Industry stakeholders have estimated that providing the data to five million students could cost about ₦15 billion monthly and ₦180 billion annually.
Maida, however, described the projected cost as a strategic investment in the future of the country and the telecommunications industry, arguing that a more productive population would create new opportunities for economic growth.
The NCC said the 100MB limit was deliberately introduced to make the programme sustainable while government and industry stakeholders monitor usage.
Participating platforms are also expected to optimise their services, including reducing advertisements and data-heavy content, so that the allowance can deliver maximum educational value.
According to the NCC’s Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission will jointly approve and whitelist participating platforms.
The programme will also operate under telecommunications, cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection requirements, with safeguards for net neutrality, fair competition and inclusion.
The commission said several educational platforms had already been assessed and approved for the initial rollout, while additional platforms would be considered over time.
It will monitor platform usage, data consumption, network performance, consumer complaints, service availability and regulatory compliance as part of an impact assessment that will guide future adjustments and expansion of the programme.
