FG to give students 100MB free data daily from October 1
Abuja — Nigerian students will begin receiving 100 megabytes (MB) of free data every day from October 1, 2026, to access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms, the Federal Government has announced.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed the commencement date on Thursday at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria, held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.
Under the programme, participating mobile network operators will provide a daily zero-rated data allowance of 100MB that beneficiaries can use on approved websites and platforms without incurring data charges.
“Let me let out the secret. This will be made available to Nigerian students from October 1st, 2026,” Alausa said, acknowledging the contribution of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
The initiative is being implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in partnership with telecommunications operators and the Federal Ministry of Education. It will initially cover learners in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions before being extended to other categories of learners.
Addressing the high cost of internet access, Alausa said data charges had become a major barrier to digital education, particularly for children from low-income households.
“Our ambition must be that, ultimately, no Nigerian learner should be denied access to quality educational content simply because he or she cannot afford data,” he said.
He added that removing data costs for educational platforms could turn mobile phones, tablets and computers into classrooms and libraries for students who would otherwise struggle to reach digital resources.
Cost of the programme
Alausa said ALTON would provide each student with 100MB of data daily, valued at about N3,000 monthly, for roughly five million students. He put the total value of the intervention at N15 billion monthly and N180 billion annually.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Daily allowance per student | 100MB |
| Monthly value per student | N3,000 |
| Beneficiaries at initial rollout | About 5 million |
| Estimated monthly value | N15 billion |
| Estimated annual value | N180 billion |
“Let me make it clear that ALTON will provide every student with 100mb of data daily, which will amount to N3,000 monthly,” the minister said.
How the platform will work
The NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission would jointly approve the educational platforms to be whitelisted under the initiative.
He said eligible platforms would include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, and technical and vocational training platforms.
Shuaibu said the framework provides for the initial rollout through a model under which participating mobile network operators supply the daily 100MB zero-rated allowance for use on approved websites and platforms.
He added that the framework requires compliance with telecommunications laws and regulations covering cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection and data protection, and contains safeguards on net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
The NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said millions of students were unable to access digital learning platforms because of affordability challenges.
“The Zero-Rated Access Initiative exists to erase that line. Its principle is simple: no learner should be shut out of educational content because of where they live or what their family earns,” Makama said.
She said the NCC, mobile network operators under ALTON, the Federal Ministries of Communications and Education and other partners carried out research, benchmarking, testing and consultations before finalising the framework.
Operators and network upgrades
The NCC Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, identified MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom among the major mobile network operators supporting the programme, and thanked them for their commitment.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, said the initiative was about more than connectivity.
“It is not about providing connectivity; it is about giving people connectivity to gain knowledge,” Maida said.
He said operators had committed to upgrading about 12,000 sites in 2026, with roughly 70 per cent of that work already completed, and that the commission would continue to prioritise connectivity in unserved and underserved communities.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, represented by the Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Adetunji Adeyemo, described the programme as a significant step towards making digital education more affordable and accessible, particularly for learners in underserved communities.
Push to regulate access for under-16s
Speaking at the same event, Alausa disclosed that the government was preparing measures to regulate internet access for children below the age of 16, with further details expected to be announced in the coming days.
“The content made available to our children must be appropriate, credible, safe and aligned with our educational objectives and our curriculum,” he said.
He said the government was also expanding the digitalisation of the education sector through the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, the Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and the Learner Identification Number.
More than 240,000 schools have been geo-mapped and geolocated across the country, he said, while the Annual School Census is being digitised to capture information on enrolment, teachers, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, connectivity and school safety.
Alausa said digitalisation sits at the centre of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, adding that the programme’s success should be measured by its effect on learners rather than on 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.