FG’s 100MB Free Data: Students Await Rollout

Students and some parents across Nigeria have expressed frustration over the delay in accessing the federal government’s newly announced 100MB daily data allowance for educational purposes.

The initiative was scheduled to commence on October 1, 2026, as part of the government’s Zero-Rated Data Access to Approved Educational Platforms and Content Initiative.

The Nigerian Communications Commission said the programme was being introduced in collaboration with the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Education.

The initiative is aimed at helping students access digital educational content without spending their regular mobile data on approved platforms.

Despite the announced start date, some students said they had yet to receive the benefit or any information about when the allocation would become active.

Victor Aondo, a final-year Microbiology student at the University of Abuja, said he had repeatedly checked his mobile phone for the promised data.

According to him, none of the colleagues he contacted had received the allocation either.

A parent, Mrs Theresa Moji, also said she had attempted to help her SS3 daughter access the programme but had not seen any indication that the benefit had been activated.

The NCC has meanwhile clarified the nature of the initiative, explaining that the 100MB should not be regarded as an unrestricted internet bundle.

The programme is specifically designed to provide zero-rated access to approved educational websites and digital platforms.

Participating services may include Learning Management Systems, digital libraries, educational repositories, teacher development platforms and technical and vocational training resources.

The commission said users cannot ordinarily use the benefit for general browsing or social media services such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.

Only platforms and traffic approved under the programme will qualify for the zero-rated treatment.

The NCC said the Federal Ministry of Education and the commission would jointly determine which educational platforms are approved and whitelisted.

The restriction is intended to ensure that the initiative delivers its stated objective of improving access to digital learning rather than providing unrestricted internet connectivity.