By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Federal Government has launched an initiative to remove data costs for Nigerian students accessing approved educational platforms as part of efforts to expand digital learning across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative on Thursday during the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
Alausa said the programme was designed to eliminate the cost of internet access as a barrier to education, particularly for learners who may struggle to afford mobile data.
According to the minister, the initiative was being implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and formed part of wider efforts to transform Nigeria’s education sector through digital technology.
He said, “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 noted that poverty, geographical location and limited access to conventional educational infrastructure should not prevent Nigerian children from benefiting from learning opportunities.
He explained that mobile phones, tablets and computers could effectively function as classrooms and libraries when the cost of accessing educational materials was removed.
The intervention comes amid persistent challenges in Nigeria’s education sector, including the large number of out-of-school children and the digital divide affecting learners in underserved communities.
The minister said the Federal Ministry of Education was pursuing a broader digitalisation programme through initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number.
He, however, said the effectiveness of digital transformation would ultimately depend on its ability to improve the learning experience and reach students.
“The real measure of digital transformation would be its ability to reach the learner and improve the quality of education,” Alausa said.
The minister also announced plans to introduce regulated internet access for children below 16 years, citing the growing exposure of young people to online risks.
“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.
Alausa said the government was concerned about threats children could face online, including cyberattacks and other forms of harm, stressing that greater access to technology must be accompanied by adequate protection.
Nigeria has previously experimented with zero-rated educational services. The Nigeria Learning Passport, developed by the Federal Government, UNICEF and other partners, has also benefited from arrangements that removed data charges for some users accessing its content.
The minister called for continued cooperation among the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications companies, technology firms, development partners, schools and teachers.
He said Nigeria needed to move beyond producing young people who merely consume technology to developing learners capable of creating technology, innovating and solving problems.
Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, welcomed the initiative, describing the cost of data as a major obstacle to digital learning.
He said the House of Representatives would continue to support policies and legislation aimed at using technology to narrow the education gap, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, stressed the importance of ensuring that Nigerian children were not excluded from access to knowledge because of economic or geographical limitations.
Dandutse also commended the telecommunications sector for supporting education through various corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Alausa said the government would continue working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the zero-rated access programme delivers sustainable benefits to Nigerian learners.
He said the broader objective was to create an education system in which “geography does not determine a child’s future, poverty does not close the door to knowledge,” and every learner could have the opportunity to reach their potential.
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