NCC to give students 100MB daily from october 1

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a zero-rating initiative for selected educational platforms, allowing eligible Nigerian students to access learning materials without using their paid data.

Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman of the NCC, disclosed this on Thursday at the launch of the initiative.

Maida said eligible students would receive up to 100 megabytes of data each day to access approved educational platforms and learning content.

He said the programme was introduced to improve access to digital education, especially for students in underserved communities.

Maida said the initiative was structured with sustainability in mind so that the cost of providing the service would not put excessive pressure on telecommunications operators.

“The first time it was raised when we had that discussion, that was the first thing that we had to sit down and figure out. How can this be done in such a way that we are not putting too much burden on the networks?” he said.

“Sustainability was actually very key to the design of this initiative, and that is why we have a cap of 100 megabytes a day.”

The NCC said the daily 100MB allocation amounts to approximately 3GB monthly, which Maida described as a substantial amount of data for eligible students to use in accessing educational resources.

He said telecommunications operators had agreed to participate in the programme as part of efforts to promote digital inclusion and support human-capital development.

“For me, this is also a way that the industry is showing that, thank you, Nigerians, for accepting that we had to do this,” Maida said.

Maida said the next stage of the programme would involve efforts to extend connectivity to communities that are still unserved or underserved.

He said the daily 100MB provision would have limited impact on students living in locations where dependable network coverage is unavailable.

“So I think for me, the next thing is how can we aggressively take service to the unserved and underserved,” Maida said.

“With every additional community we’re able to give service, it means that we’re giving X number of students or children the opportunity to be educated or enlightened.”

He said the NCC would continue to collaborate with telecommunications operators and other stakeholders to improve connectivity coverage and quality.

Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, said the initiative was developed to address the cost of internet access as an obstacle to education.

Tijani, who was represented by Tunji Adeyemo, director, National Frequency Management Council secretariat, said the initiative formed part of efforts to make educational resources available to children living in remote and underserved communities.

“It’s 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.

The minister said the programme highlighted the importance of cooperation among government, the education sector, telecommunications operators, technology platforms and educational institutions.

He assured the NCC and other stakeholders that the ministry would continue supporting initiatives focused on digital inclusion, affordable connectivity and access to knowledge.

Tunji Alausa, minister of education, said in his keynote address that the initiative would become available to students from October 1, 2026.

He said the programme was both a telecommunications initiative and an education and inclusion intervention.

Alausa said the federal government was working towards ensuring that a learner’s location or family income would not determine access to quality educational resources.

“Digitalisation must ultimately reach every learner,” Alausa said.

“A digital platform can be difficult for a child who cannot afford the data required to access excellent online lessons. The benefits of technology cannot be truly transformative if access remains determined by household income and geography.”

He said zero-rating approved educational platforms could transform mobile phones, tablets and computers into classrooms, libraries and avenues for accessing knowledge.

The minister said the programme would initially cover learners in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, with plans to expand it to other groups of learners.

“Our vision must be that ultimately, no Nigerian learner should be denied access to quality educational content simply because he or she cannot afford the data,” he said.

He, however, cautioned that zero-rating should not mean unrestricted access to platforms that simply identify themselves as educational.

“For a child from a low-income household, the cost of data can determine whether an educational resource is accessible or inaccessible. Zero-rating therefore has the potential to transform a mobile phone, tablet or computer from simply a communication device into a classroom, a library and a gateway to opportunity,” he said.

Alausa added that educational content provided through the programme must be credible, safe and consistent with Nigeria’s educational objectives and curriculum