100MB Free Data: Students Wait As FG Restricts Access To Approved Platforms

Students across public secondary and tertiary institutions are waiting to access the federal government’s promised 100 megabytes of free daily data.

This is just as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said the benefit is restricted to approved educational websites and digital learning platforms.

The federal government had announced that eligible students would begin receiving the daily allowance from October 1, 2026, under the Zero-Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content Initiative.

The NCC, on its official twitter page yesterday, said the initiative was being rolled out from October 1, with access limited to platforms that had been approved and whitelisted under the programme.

“As Nigeria celebrates Independence Day, the Nigerian Communications Commission, in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria and Federal Ministry of Education, is expanding opportunities for learning through Zero-Rated Data Access,” the commission stated.

However, on the first day the government said it will be rolled out, some students and parents across Nigeria’s public secondary schools and tertiary institutions told LEADERSHIP Friday that they were yet to see the promised data on their lines.

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 data.

“I have refreshed my phone since morning to check whether I have new data, but nothing has come. I have also asked some of my colleagues, but none of them has received it,” he said.

Similarly, a parent of an SS3 student at St Winifred Girls Secondary School, Ihugh, Mrs Theresa Moji, said she had tried to help her daughter access the initiative but had not been able to benefit from it.

“I tried to help my daughter access the free data online, but there was nothing to show. We have not received anything so far,” she said.

The scheme is not, however, a general-purpose 100MB internet bundle. The NCC said eligible platforms include Learning Management Systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, and technical and vocational training platforms.

This means students cannot simply use the allocation for WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram or general browsing unless the particular platform or traffic has been approved under the programme.

The commission said the Federal Ministry of Education and the NCC would jointly approve and whitelist participating educational platforms.

The restriction is intended to ensure that the free connectivity is used specifically for educational purposes, with the framework also providing safeguards for net neutrality, fair competition, child protection, cybersecurity, consumer protection and data protection.