FG scraps student data costs on approved education platforms and plans regulated internet access for under-16s to strengthen digital learning and safety

The Federal Government has announced the removal of student data costs on approved educational platforms, while Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa disclosed plans to regulate internet access for children below 16 as Nigeria expands its digital education reforms.

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Alausa made the announcements said the initiative was designed to remove the cost of internet data as a barrier to accessing educational resources, in Abuja on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.

The minister said the initiative was designed to remove the cost of internet data as a barrier to accessing educational resources, particularly for learners from low-income households and underserved communities.

“This initiative goes beyond connectivity. It is about putting learning within reach of children who may otherwise be unable to afford the data required to access it,” Alausa said.

The intervention is being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and forms part of the government’s broader digital transformation programme for the education sector.

Alausa said poverty, geographical location and limited access to conventional educational infrastructure should not determine whether a Nigerian child could obtain quality learning resources.

He noted that mobile phones, tablets and computers could effectively function as classrooms and libraries when learners could access educational content without worrying about data charges.

The policy comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with significant education challenges, including out-of-school children, inadequate infrastructure and unequal access to digital resources.

The government has previously worked with development partners on initiatives designed to expand online learning. The Nigeria Learning Passport, developed with support from UNICEF and other partners, provides digital curriculum resources for learners and teachers.

Under previous arrangements, access to the Nigeria Learning Passport was zero-rated for some users through whitelisting on an Airtel SIM, while connectivity was also extended to schools in hard-to-reach communities.

Alausa said the latest initiative would complement wider reforms being undertaken through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.

Those reforms include the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and the Learner Identification Number, which are intended to improve education planning, learner identification and data management.

The minister, however, stressed that the success of digital transformation should ultimately be judged by its effect on students rather than the technology itself.

“The real measure of digital transformation would be its ability to reach the learner and improve the quality of education,” he said.

Alongside the announcement on zero-rated educational platforms, Alausa revealed that the government was considering regulated internet access for children under 16.

“At some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years as part of measures to strengthen online child protection,” he said.

The proposed measure reflects growing concerns about children’s exposure to online risks as more young Nigerians gain access to smartphones, social media and other digital platforms.

Alausa said expanding access to technology must therefore go hand in hand with stronger safeguards against cyberattacks and other potential threats affecting children online.

The government has yet to provide details on how the proposed under-16 internet regulation would operate, including the technology, enforcement mechanism or specific restrictions that could apply.

The minister called for closer cooperation among the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications operators, technology companies, educational institutions, teachers and development partners.

He also said Nigeria should aspire to produce young people who do more than consume technology, arguing that learners should be equipped to create, innovate and develop solutions to national challenges.

Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, welcomed the zero-rating initiative, describing the cost of data as a major obstacle to digital learning.

Akpatason said the House of Representatives would continue supporting policies and legislation aimed at using technology to narrow Nigeria‘s education gap, particularly for children in underserved communities.

Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, said efforts should focus on ensuring that no Nigerian child was excluded from access to knowledge because of financial or geographical barriers.

Dandutse also commended telecommunications companies for supporting educational initiatives through corporate social responsibility programmes.

The government’s latest intervention represents a potentially significant step in making digital education more accessible, although its impact will depend on the number of platforms covered and the extent to which learners in rural communities can overcome other barriers such as electricity, device ownership and network availability.

For the under-16 proposal, the government faces a different challenge: balancing children’s safety with access to legitimate educational and communication services.

Alausa said the Federal Ministry of Education would continue working with relevant agencies, telecommunications operators, educational institutions and development partners to ensure the initiative produces sustainable results.

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The minister said the ultimate goal was an education system in which geography and poverty would no longer determine a child’s access to knowledge or future opportunities.