Eligible Nigerian learners will receive up to 100MB of free daily data to access approved educational platforms as part of a new initiative aimed at expanding affordable digital learning across the country.
The Zero-Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content Initiative is being rolled out by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, from October 1, 2026.
The initiative is designed to reduce the cost of digital learning by enabling eligible users to access approved platforms for studying, research, online courses and other academic activities without paying for the allocated data.
Under the operator-sponsored model, learners who receive the full 100MB daily allowance will have access to about 700MB of educational data weekly, approximately 3GB monthly and up to 36.5GB annually.
The programme supports the NCC’s mandate to promote modern, universal, efficient, reliable, affordable and accessible communications services across Nigeria.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, NCC Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, and ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the initiative reflected the telecommunications industry’s support for digital inclusion and education.
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the initiative formed part of broader government efforts to equip Nigerians with digital skills and knowledge and advance human capital development.
Maida said the programme aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy, which he said depended significantly on investment in people through education, skills acquisition and access to learning opportunities.
He said the significance of the initiative should be considered beyond the daily 100MB allocation, particularly when the benefit is sustained over time and extended to millions of learners.
“One hundred megabytes of data might sound a little, but when you look at it over a month and over a year, and cumulatively over the millions of learners and students that are going to access it, it’s really a significant investment by the industry towards the future of this country,” he said.
Maida added that improved connectivity would help bridge disparities in access to educational resources across different parts of the country by connecting students to teachers, learning materials and knowledge resources regardless of their location.
He described the programme as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s future and the telecommunications industry, saying it could contribute to developing a more productive workforce capable of driving innovation, economic growth and national development.
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“If the economy becomes more productive through these people who access these educational platforms, they are the future innovators in Nigeria, they are the ones who are going to come up with ideas and become leaders of tomorrow. So, making them more productive is going to create more opportunities for the sector to grow. It’s not about short-term thinking. It’s about securing the future of Nigerians,” he said.
Industry commits ₦200bn to pilot
Adebayo said the telecommunications and wider technology industry had demonstrated significant commitment to the initiative through financial and in-kind contributions valued at almost ₦200 billion for the initial pilot involving 5,000 learners.
According to him, the figure covers the daily 100MB connectivity allocation, network resources, devices, terminals and other supporting contributions provided by industry stakeholders.
He said the commitment demonstrated the industry’s support for the Federal Government’s education and digital inclusion agenda.
Adebayo explained that telecommunications operators were absorbing the cost of providing the connectivity and network capacity required to deliver daily access to approved educational platforms.
He said this represented a substantial commitment of network resources throughout the programme and was being undertaken in support of a national development objective.
The ALTON chairman said the initiative had attracted a whole-of-industry response involving telecommunications operators, original equipment manufacturers, tower companies and other technology stakeholders.
He said the significance of the commitment should not be measured solely by the amount of data provided but also by its potential to enable learners to access knowledge, prepare for examinations, conduct research, acquire digital skills and participate in the emerging digital economy.
According to him, the industry was not merely asking the Federal Government to create policies or programmes but was also committing substantial resources to support the national objective.
“This is a partnership in the truest sense: Government provides the policy and educational framework; the regulator provides coordination and oversight; telecommunications operators provide connectivity and network resources; while OEMs, TowerCos and other technology partners contribute devices, terminals and other critical resources,” he said.
Adebayo called on other stakeholders to contribute to the national effort, stressing that the success of digital education would require more than connectivity.
He identified access to devices, appropriate content, reliable infrastructure, digital literacy and sustained investment as other critical requirements for the initiative to achieve its objectives.
“The telecommunications industry has demonstrated its willingness to lead by example,” he said, describing the initiative as an expression of confidence in Nigeria’s young people and the future of the country.
Adebayo said ALTON and its members remained committed to working with the government, the NCC, the Federal Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to ensure that the investment produced measurable and lasting educational outcomes.
“Investing in education is investing in Nigeria’s future and the telecommunications industry is putting its resources behind that future,” he said.
NAN
