Students Await FG’s 100MB Free Data

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

Confirming the development to LEADERSHIP , the students said they had neither received the data nor any notice informing them of when they would receive the allocation.

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

According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the initiative is being rolled out from October 1, with access limited to platforms that have been approved and whitelisted under the programme.

The NCC, however, said the benefit is restricted to approved educational websites and digital learning platforms.

In a statement posted on its official X account on Thursday, the commission said, “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.”

Despite the scheduled commencement of the initiative, some students and parents across Nigeria’s public secondary schools and tertiary institutions told LEADERSHIP that they were yet to see the promised data on their lines.

A final-year Microbiology student of the University of Abuja, Victor Aondo, repeated checks of his phone since morning had yielded no sign of the 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.

Meanwhile, a parent of an SS3 student at St Winifred Girls Secondary School, Ihugh, Mrs Theresa Moji, said she had also 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 NCC also clarified that the scheme is not a general-purpose 100MB internet bundle, noting that eligible platforms include Learning Management Systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms, and technical and vocational training platforms.

As a result, 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 explained that the Federal Ministry of Education and the NCC would jointly approve and whitelist participating educational platforms.

According to the Commission, the restriction is intended to ensure that the free connectivity is used specifically for educational purposes.