Millions of Nigerian students and learners are set to benefit from free access to selected online educational resources following the nationwide rollout of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s zero-rated education access programme.
The initiative, which was formally launched in Abuja on September 10 and commenced nationwide implementation on October 1, provides eligible users with up to 100 megabytes of free data daily for access to approved educational websites and learning platforms.
The programme is being implemented through a partnership between the NCC and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) under an operator-sponsored model.
According to the commission, the initiative is designed to reduce barriers to digital learning by enabling students, teachers and researchers to access educational content without incurring additional data costs.
If utilised daily, the free allocation amounts to about 700MB weekly, approximately 3GB monthly and as much as 36.5GB annually.
However, the NCC clarified that the offer does not provide unrestricted internet access. The free data can only be used on educational platforms approved under the programme, while browsing on social media, entertainment websites and other non-approved platforms will continue to consume subscribers’ regular data bundles.
The scheme covers a broad range of educational resources, including learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development portals and technical and vocational training platforms.
Participating operators currently include MTN, Airtel and Globacom.
MTN has already published a list of approved platforms available under the initiative, including the WAEC Online Integrated System, WAEC e-Study, WAECKONNECT, Edurevamp and the Federal Ministry of Education’s eLearn platform.
The NCC noted that beneficiaries do not need to purchase a separate data bundle before accessing the approved learning resources, while the 100MB allocation is renewed daily and does not accumulate over time.
Speaking on the initiative, NCC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida, described the programme as a significant investment in Nigeria’s educational future.
“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.
ALTON Chairman, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, disclosed that telecommunications operators and technology stakeholders have committed nearly ₦200 billion in financial and in-kind resources toward the pilot phase of the initiative involving 5,000 learners.
The NCC said additional educational platforms are expected to be assessed and included as the programme expands.
