A zero-rated education initiative has been launched by the Nigerian Communications Commission that will provide about five million Nigerian students with 100 megabytes of data each day to access approved educational platforms, the commission said.
Named the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content Initiative, the programme will start on 1 October and was launched in Abuja at an event the commission described as the move from policy advocacy to implementation, the commission said.
Initially, the scheme will target students in public senior secondary schools and public tertiary institutions.
The commission said data used while accessing educational websites, digital libraries and learning platforms approved under the programme will not be deducted from beneficiaries’ regular data balances.
According to the Federal Ministry of Education, giving five million students 100MB daily amounts to about 15 billion megabytes of educational data per month, with an estimated annual data value of ₦180 billion.
The ministry said this figure represents the estimated value of connectivity made available to beneficiaries and does not represent a cash payment to students.
The commission and the ministry said the zero-rating will apply only to platforms and sites whitelisted under the framework. Decisions about platform eligibility will be set by stakeholders; The Federal Ministry of Education and the NCC will determine which platforms are eligible, including learning management systems, digital libraries, teacher development resources and technical and vocational learning platforms.
The NCC said the framework includes safeguards on cybersecurity, data protection, consumer and child protection, net neutrality, fair competition and inclusivity.
The initiative grew from earlier advocacy by the chairman of the NCC board, Idris Olorunnimbe; he argued that zero-rated access would expand digital learning opportunities. “The NCC is ready to lead. I am honoured to drive this work, but the vision we are executing belongs to President Bola Tinubu,” Mr Olorunnimbe said at earlier engagements, the commission reported.
The NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Aminu Maida, described the initiative as an investment in knowledge rather than merely a telecoms intervention. “It is not about providing connectivity; it is about giving people connectivity to gain knowledge,” Mr Maida said at the launch.
The commission said telecommunications operators have committed to participate in the scheme. Participating operators were identified as MTN Nigeria, Airtel Nigeria and Globacom.
Mr Maida also told the launch that operators had pledged to upgrade about 12,000 network sites in 2026, and that roughly 70 per cent of those upgrades were already completed. The commission said it would prioritise connectivity in unserved and underserved communities as the programme expands.
The NCC said months of consultations with telecommunications operators, the Federal Ministry of Education, technology and education providers, development partners, students and other stakeholders produced the scheme. The commission said in the next phase it will focus on ensuring eligible students can access approved platforms, expanding connectivity and educational content, and sustaining collaboration with operators and education stakeholders.
Read the NCC launch report on Premium Times for full details: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/908803-ncc-launches-zero-rated-education-scheme-for-five-million-students.html
Featured image: Philips Evarist via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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