Nigeria’s Federal Government has said that it will introduce regulated internet access for children below the age of 16 as part of efforts to protect young Nigerians from cyberattacks and other online threats.
Speaking at the launch of the Zero Rated Access Initiative, which targets a 100MB daily free data initiative for students, designed to enable learners to access approved educational platforms and digital learning content without paying for the data used, Minister of Education, Tunji 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 increases.
He also said the telecommunications industry has a critical role to play in supporting the country’s education system, as internet connectivity becomes increasingly important to learning.
“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.”
He said the partnership between the education and telecommunications sectors must deepen as Nigeria prepares young people for an increasingly digital economy.
“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 added.
Referencing Federal Government’s October 1, 2026 date for the commencement of free educational data access for Nigerian students under the Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content initiative, the Minister noted that more than 240,000 schools have so far been geomapped and geolocated across Nigeria, while the resulting data would help policymakers identify areas requiring intervention.
In his remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the initiative was about more than connectivity, describing access to knowledge as a foundation for innovation, productivity and economic growth. “It is not about providing connectivity; it is about giving people connectivity to gain knowledge”.
He said he had experienced the convenience of online learning personally through courses he takes, but noted that its benefits would be greater for less privileged Nigerians.
Maida commended telecommunications operators participating in the initiative, saying the industry was continuing to invest heavily in network capacity despite difficult operating conditions.
He disclosed that operators had committed to upgrading about 12,000 sites in 2026, with approximately 70% already completed.
According to him, the NCC would continue to prioritise connectivity in unserved and underserved communities, noting that every newly connected community would provide more students with opportunities to learn digitally.
