By Opeyemi Adelakun
Students of the University of Lagos, Kwara State University and the University of Ilorin are among those waiting for the Federal Government’s promised 100MB daily data under its digital education initiative.
The Federal Government had announced that eligible students would begin accessing the benefit from October 1, 2026, through the Zero-Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content Initiative.
But students contacted for the report said they were yet to receive the allocation, with some also uncertain about the process for accessing the benefit.
A University of Lagos undergraduate, Akerele Emmanuel, said students were looking forward to the initiative because of the rising importance of internet access to academic work.
“Most of our academic activities now involve online research and digital resources. We were expecting the free data to start from the announced date, but I have not received anything on my line,” the student said.
At Kwara State University, Lawal Suliah, said there was still uncertainty among students about the rollout.
“Students have been discussing the programme, but there is still no clear indication from what I have seen that the data has been activated on our lines. We are waiting for more information on how it will work,” the student said.
Similarly, a student of the University of Ilorin, Oyeyemi Olalekan, said access to the promised data could reduce the financial pressure on students who regularly purchase internet bundles.
“Students use data for research, online classes, academic materials and communication with lecturers. If the programme is implemented properly, it could make things easier for many students,” the student said.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) had announced the commencement of the programme in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and licensed telecommunications operators.
According to the commission, the initiative is intended to support digital learning by providing zero-rated access to selected educational platforms.
The NCC has also clarified that the scheme does not amount to a general-purpose 100MB internet bundle.
Rather, the benefit applies to educational platforms that have been approved and placed on the programme’s whitelist.
Such platforms include digital libraries, Learning Management Systems, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational training websites.
The commission said the free access would therefore not ordinarily cover social media platforms or unrestricted internet browsing.
Services such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube would only qualify where the relevant platform or traffic has been specifically approved under the initiative.
The NCC said it would work with the Federal Ministry of Education to approve participating platforms and ensure that the programme remains focused on educational purposes.
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