FG to give public school students 100MB free data daily from October 1, 2026
By Aboki Forex —
Nigerian students in public schools and tertiary institutions may soon get 100MB of free internet data every day, under a Federal Government plan being developed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Federal Ministry of Education.
The scheme is expected to start on October 1, 2026. It is aimed at supporting digital learning and cutting the cost of online education for students.
Who qualifies
The initiative targets students enrolled in public senior secondary schools and public tertiary institutions, including universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Eligibility will depend on institutional verification, meaning a student must be recognised as currently enrolled in an eligible institution, not simply be a Nigerian resident or mobile network subscriber.
The government is expected to use education records linked to the Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI) and identity information from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). Students may therefore need a valid National Identification Number (NIN) for verification.
The precise requirements, and the process for resolving discrepancies in student records, have not been fully published.
The six platform categories
The NCC has outlined six broad categories of educational platforms that could qualify for zero-rated access. These are learning management systems used by schools to deliver lecture notes, assignments and online classes; digital libraries covering research papers, e-books and journals; and educational repositories that host curricula, past questions and learning materials.
The rest are teacher development platforms, which support educators through training and professional learning; technical and vocational training platforms, which provide practical skills and digital literacy courses; and government evaluation portals managed by the Federal Ministry of Education.
The NCC and the education ministry are expected to jointly approve and whitelist eligible platforms before the scheme begins. Access is planned through an operator-consult model involving telecom companies such as MTN, Airtel and Globacom.
NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the ministry and the commission will work together to approve and whitelist platforms eligible under the scheme.
What students should do now
There is no confirmed public registration link and no complete list of approved websites in the information currently available. Students should await official NCC and Federal Ministry of Education announcements before sharing personal details or using any registration link.
Students should also confirm that their school records are accurate and keep their NIN and institutional identification details ready for verification.
Zero-rated access to approved educational platforms does not automatically mean every website, social media service or online video will be free. The launch date is October 1, 2026, but final eligibility rules, the activation process and participating platforms should be confirmed through official channels. For now, students can monitor the Federal Ministry of Education and NCC websites for verified updates.
For Nigerian households, the plan could trim airtime and data spending for families with children in public institutions, though its real value will depend on how many platforms are eventually whitelisted and how smoothly enrolment data is verified.