Nigerian Students Wait for Federal Government’s 100MB Free Data Offer
Nigerian students have reported delays in accessing the federal government’s promised 100MB daily data allowance for educational activities, despite the official commencement date of October 1, 2026.
The initiative, known as the Zero-Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content Initiative, is being implemented for eligible students in public secondary and tertiary institutions.
The Nigerian Communications Commission said the programme was launched in partnership with the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to the NCC, the initiative is intended to improve digital access to learning materials by allowing eligible students to access approved educational platforms without using their regular data allocation.
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However, students and parents who spoke about the programme said they had not yet seen the promised benefit on their lines.
Victor Aondo, a final-year Microbiology student at the University of Abuja, said he had checked his phone several times without seeing the additional data.
He said he also contacted some colleagues and discovered that they had not received the allocation either.
Similarly, Mrs Theresa Moji, whose daughter is an SS3 student at St Winifred Girls Secondary School, Ihugh, said attempts to access the programme had so far produced no result.
The NCC, however, has stressed that the initiative should not be understood as a free 100MB bundle for unrestricted internet use.
The commission said the zero-rated benefit applies only to educational platforms approved and whitelisted under the programme.
These include digital libraries, learning management systems, educational repositories, teacher training platforms and technical and vocational education resources.
Students will not ordinarily be able to use the benefit for WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or general browsing unless the relevant platform or traffic has been specifically approved.
The NCC said the restrictions were introduced to ensure that the connectivity supports learning and educational development.
The Federal Ministry of Education and the commission are responsible for approving participating platforms as the programme is rolled out.
