Students in public secondary schools and tertiary institutions across Nigeria have expressed disappointment over the federal government’s promised 100 megabytes of free daily data for educational purposes.
The data initiative was scheduled to begin on October 1, 2026, under the Zero-Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content Initiative.
However, some students and parents said they had yet to receive the allocation or any notification explaining when they would become eligible to access it.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which is implementing the programme in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and telecommunications operators, announced that the initiative was commencing on October 1.
The commission explained that the programme was designed to expand students’ access to digital learning resources by zero-rating approved educational websites and platforms.
A final-year Microbiology student of the University of Abuja, Victor Aondo, said he had repeatedly checked his phone since morning but had not received any additional data.
“I have refreshed my phone since morning to check whether I have new data, but nothing has come,” he said.
A parent of an SS3 student at St Winifred Girls Secondary School, Ihugh, Mrs Theresa Moji, also said she had been unable to access the benefit on behalf of her daughter.
The NCC has clarified that the initiative does not provide a general-purpose 100MB internet bundle.
According to the commission, eligible users can only use the zero-rated access on approved platforms, including Learning Management Systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational training platforms.
The allocation cannot therefore ordinarily be used for social media platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram or general internet browsing unless specific traffic or platforms have been approved.
The Federal Ministry of Education and NCC are responsible for approving and whitelisting participating educational platforms.
The commission said the restriction is intended to ensure the initiative remains focused on educational use.
