By Our Correspondent
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched an initiative providing free access to approved educational platforms to expand digital learning and reduce inequality.
Under the operator-sponsored model, eligible users will receive up to 100 megabytes (MB) of free daily data, equivalent to about 3GB monthly and 36.5GB annually.
Speaking at the launch, NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr Aminu Maida said the programme would support President Bola Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion economy by strengthening human capital.
“We need to appreciate how critical education is to economic development because of the role of human capital,” Maida said.
He said affordable internet access was essential for citizens to benefit from digital-skills programmes and noted that the initiative could help bridge regional gaps in teachers and learning resources.
The 100MB allowance could support about two to five hours of learning daily, depending on the content. Text materials and PDFs consume less data than audio or video lessons.
Maida described the programme as a long-term investment, saying improved education would produce future innovators and expand opportunities for the telecommunications sector. He added that the daily cap was designed to ensure sustainability and that platforms were being encouraged to reduce data consumption.
The NCC Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Federal Ministry of Education and the NCC would jointly approve and whitelist participating platforms.
According to him, eligible services include learning management systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher-development platforms, and technical and vocational training platforms.
The framework also includes safeguards for cybersecurity, consumer protection, child protection, data protection, net neutrality and fair competition.
Participating mobile operators will provide access to approved platforms, with usage, service quality, complaints and compliance monitored regularly.
Additional platforms may be added as the programme expands.
The NCC Board Chairman, Idris Olorunnimbe, described the initiative as evidence of the government’s commitment to expanding education access.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, commended the NCC, saying the programme would reduce the cost of internet access and create more opportunities for learners, especially those from low-income households (GSF)