The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce regulated internet access for Nigerians below the age of 16 as part of measures to protect children from cyberattacks and other online threats.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while speaking at the launch of the Zero-Rated Access Initiative, a programme designed to give students free daily access to approved educational platforms and digital learning content.
Alausa said the government would soon consider measures to regulate internet access for children under 16, stressing the need to protect minors as their exposure to digital platforms continues to increase.
He said the planned regulation would form part of broader efforts to safeguard young Nigerians as more aspects of education and everyday life move online.
“In the coming days, there will be regulated access to the internet for every child in Nigeria who is below the age of 16 years. The telecommunication industry has an especially important role to play,” the minister said.
The announcement places telecommunications operators at the centre of the government’s efforts to balance children’s access to digital resources with the need for greater protection from online risks.
Alausa also stressed the growing importance of telecommunications infrastructure to education, saying internet connectivity was becoming increasingly important to learning.
He called for deeper cooperation between the education and telecommunications sectors as Nigeria prepares young people for an increasingly digital economy.
According to the minister, connectivity has become an important component of modern education, alongside traditional classrooms and laboratories.
“Today’s connectivity is becoming as important to education as to the classrooms and laboratories. The partnership between the education and telecommunications sectors must therefore deepen,” he said.
The Federal Government also announced October 1, 2026, as the commencement date for free educational data access for Nigerian students under the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content initiative.
The initiative targets a 100MB daily free data allowance for students, enabling them to access approved educational platforms and digital learning materials without paying for the data used.
The programme is intended to address one of the barriers to digital learning by reducing the cost associated with accessing educational resources online.
The minister said the initiative would provide students with greater opportunities to use digital platforms for learning, particularly as technology becomes increasingly integrated into education.
Alongside the connectivity initiative, the government is also working to improve its understanding of the country’s education infrastructure.
Alausa disclosed that more than 240,000 schools had so far been geomapped and geolocated across Nigeria.
He said the data generated from the exercise would help policymakers identify areas requiring intervention and improve planning for education-related programmes.
The information could also help government identify communities and schools where infrastructure and connectivity gaps remain significant.
Speaking at the event, Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said the initiative should not be viewed simply as a programme for providing internet connectivity.
Maida said the broader objective was to connect Nigerians to knowledge and create opportunities for innovation, productivity and economic growth.
“It is not about providing connectivity; it is about giving people connectivity to gain knowledge,” he said.
The NCC chief executive also spoke about his personal experience with online learning, noting the convenience provided by digital education through courses he takes online.
He, however, said the benefits of digital learning could be even more significant for less privileged Nigerians who may otherwise face difficulties accessing educational resources.
Maida commended telecommunications operators participating in the initiative and acknowledged the investments being made by the industry to expand network capacity despite difficult operating conditions.
According to him, telecommunications operators have committed to upgrading approximately 12,000 sites in 2026, with about 70 per cent of the planned upgrades already completed.
The investment is expected to contribute to improved connectivity and support the increasing demand for digital services, including online education.
Maida said the NCC would continue to prioritise connectivity in unserved and underserved communities, where limited access to telecommunications infrastructure can restrict people’s ability to benefit from digital services.
He noted that every newly connected community would create additional opportunities for students to access digital learning.
The government’s plans come as the use of the internet among young people continues to expand, increasing both the opportunities available through digital platforms and the potential risks associated with online activity.
Children can access educational materials, communicate and develop digital skills through the internet, but they can also be exposed to cyberattacks and other online threats.
The proposed regulated internet access for children under 16 therefore introduces an additional layer to the government’s digital education strategy.
The announcement also places responsibility on telecommunications operators to support any measures eventually adopted by the government.
At the same time, the Zero-Rated Access Initiative seeks to ensure that greater protection of children does not come at the expense of their ability to access educational resources online.
By providing students with 100MB of free daily data for approved educational platforms, the government intends to lower the cost of digital learning while continuing to expand connectivity.
The October 1 commencement date will mark the next stage of the initiative, while the proposed regulation of internet access for under-16s is expected to involve further consideration of how children can safely participate in the digital environment.
The combination of digital education, expanded network infrastructure and proposed child-focused internet regulation reflects the government’s broader effort to adapt Nigeria’s education system to a technology-driven economy.
As more schools and students gain access to digital resources, the government and telecommunications industry will face the challenge of ensuring that connectivity remains affordable, useful and safe.
For the NCC, expanding access to unserved and underserved communities remains a key part of that effort, while the Education Ministry is seeking to ensure that connectivity translates into access to knowledge.
The Federal Government’s latest plans therefore seek to address two sides of Nigeria’s growing digital education landscape: expanding access to online learning while introducing greater protection for children using the internet.