The Federal Government has announced that Nigerian students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions will receive 100MB of free internet data every day from October 1, 2026.
The initiative is designed to help students access approved educational websites and digital learning platforms without paying for the data used on those services.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the commencement date during the launch of the government’s zero-rated access initiative for educational platforms and content in Abuja.
The programme will initially cover students in public senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, with plans to extend it to other categories of learners.
Under the arrangement, participating mobile network operators will provide the daily data allowance for access to approved platforms, including learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational education resources.
The government said the initiative is aimed at reducing the cost of internet access, which has remained a major obstacle to digital learning, particularly for students from low-income households.
Officials said the programme is expected to make it easier for students to use smartphones, tablets and computers to access educational materials without worrying about the cost of data.
The government also said it is working on measures to regulate internet access for children below the age of 16, with further details expected to be announced later.
