The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has praised the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for introducing free access to approved online educational platforms.
NANS President Babatunde Akinteye gave the commendation during the launch of the initiative at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on September 10, 2026.
Akinteye said the policy would help reduce the cost of accessing digital learning resources, including e libraries, research databases, online courses, coding platforms and virtual classrooms.
He described the initiative as one of the most significant interventions in Nigeria’s education sector, noting that data costs remain a major obstacle to online learning.
According to NANS, the programme will begin on October 1, 2026, and provide each student from secondary to tertiary level with 100MB of free data daily. About five million students in public senior secondary schools and public tertiary institutions are expected to benefit.
The scheme is being implemented through collaboration between the NCC, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria.
The free data will be restricted to approved educational websites, digital libraries and learning platforms. It will not cover social media, general browsing or unapproved video streaming services. Data used on the approved platforms will also not be deducted from students’ regular data balances.
Akinteye also commended other education initiatives under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including efforts to maintain uninterrupted academic calendars, the NELFUND student loan scheme and financial support for students in technical and vocational education centres.
He further thanked NCC Chairman Chief Idris Olorunimbe and the commission’s board for advancing the proposal, which was first discussed during a meeting with telecommunications operators.
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