The Federal Government has launched a zero-rating initiative that will allow millions of Nigerian students to access approved educational platforms without paying data charges.
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 aimed at removing internet costs as a barrier to digital education and ensuring that learners could access quality educational resources regardless of their financial circumstances or location.
According to him, “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.”
The minister said poverty, geographical location and inadequate conventional education infrastructure should not prevent children and young people from benefiting from learning opportunities.
He noted that once the cost of accessing educational materials was eliminated, devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers could function as classrooms, libraries and gateways to wider opportunities.
The intervention comes amid Nigeria’s continuing education challenges and a digital divide that has restricted access to learning, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
UNICEF has reported that millions of Nigerian children are out of school, while inadequate internet connectivity, electricity and digital literacy continue to limit the adoption of digital learning.
Nigeria has previously implemented zero-rated access for selected educational resources. UNICEF reported that data charges were removed for users accessing the Nigeria Learning Passport through whitelisting on an Airtel SIM, while connectivity was also expanded to schools in hard-to-reach areas.
The Nigeria Learning Passport, developed by the Federal Government, UNICEF and other partners, provides digital curriculum materials to learners and teachers while extending educational opportunities beyond physical classrooms.
Alausa said the new programme formed part of wider reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative aimed at using digital technology to improve the education system.
He listed the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number among initiatives being implemented by the ministry to strengthen education management and service delivery.
However, the minister said the effectiveness of the digital reforms would ultimately depend on whether they improved learning outcomes and reached the intended beneficiaries.
“The real measure of digital transformation would be its ability to reach the learner and improve the quality of education,” he said.
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Alausa also disclosed plans to introduce regulated internet access for children below 16 as part of efforts to improve online child protection.
He said the growing presence of children on digital platforms required stronger measures to protect them from threats such as cyberattacks and other online dangers.
“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 stressed that expanding children’s access to technology must go hand in hand with safeguards to protect them in the digital environment.
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 should focus not only on producing young people who consume technology but also on developing learners capable of creating technological solutions, innovating and addressing societal challenges.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, welcomed the initiative, identifying the high cost of internet data as a major obstacle to digital learning.
Akpatason said the House of Representatives would continue to support policies and legislation that use technology to narrow the education gap, particularly among learners in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, similarly stressed the importance of ensuring that every Nigerian child could access knowledge and educational opportunities.
Dandutse also praised the telecommunications sector for its contributions to education, including corporate social responsibility programmes designed to support children and improve access to learning.
The zero-rating programme is part of the Federal Government’s broader push to digitise education, strengthen learner identification and improve the management of education data.
Alausa assured that the ministry would continue working with the NCC, state governments, telecom operators, educational institutions and development partners to ensure the programme delivers sustainable benefits.
He said the government’s goal was to build an education system where “geography does not determine a child’s future, poverty does not close the door to knowledge,” and every Nigerian learner had an opportunity to realise their full potential.