Jane Salihu
The Federal Government has launched an initiative to remove data costs from access to approved educational platforms, in a move aimed at helping millions of Nigerian learners overcome one of the major barriers to digital education.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday at the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria, stressing that the cost of internet data should no longer determine who can access quality education.
Alausa said the initiative, being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, would particularly benefit learners from low-income families and communities with limited access to conventional educational facilities.
According to him, with data costs removed from approved educational platforms, mobile phones, tablets and computers can serve as classrooms, libraries and gateways to opportunities for students who may otherwise be excluded from digital learning.
The Minister said the intervention forms part of the broader transformation of Nigeria’s education sector under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), with digitalisation and reliable education data at the centre of the reform.
He noted that initiatives such as the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System and Learner Identification Number were strengthening education planning and management, but stressed that digital transformation must ultimately improve the learning experience of individual students.
Alausa also disclosed plans for regulated internet access for children below 16 years, saying the measure would form part of efforts to protect Nigerian children from cyberattacks and other dangers in the online environment.
He said the government must ensure that the rapid expansion of digital learning does not expose children to avoidable risks, adding that the welfare and dignity of Nigerian children must remain central to the country’s digital education agenda.
The Minister called for stronger collaboration among the Federal Ministry of Education, state governments, Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications operators, technology companies, development partners, schools and teachers to make digital education accessible, safe and useful.
He further challenged stakeholders to move beyond producing young Nigerians who merely consume technology, saying the education system must equip learners with the skills to create technology, innovate, solve problems and compete globally.
In his goodwill message, Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Hon. Peter Akpatason, described the high cost of data as a major obstacle to learning in the digital age and commended the Nigerian Communications Commission for the initiative.
He said the House of Representatives would continue to support policies and legislation that use technology to bridge educational gaps, particularly for students in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, stressed the need to ensure that no Nigerian child is excluded from access to knowledge and educational opportunities.
He commended the telecommunications industry for its contributions to education, including corporate social responsibility programmes aimed at supporting children and expanding access to learning.
Alausa assured that the Ministry would sustain collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the zero-rated education initiative produces lasting benefits for Nigerian learners and helps create an education system where the cost of connectivity and location do not determine a child’s access to knowledge.
