NANS Applauds Free Data Initiative for Students

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has praised the federal government and the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Chief Idris Olorunimbe, for launching zero-rated access to online educational platforms for students. NANS President, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye, made the commendation during the initiative's launch in Abuja.

He stated that this intervention addresses significant barriers to modern learning, as the cost of data has hindered many Nigerian students from accessing online educational resources. The policy, described by Akinteye as a strategic intervention in Nigeria's education system, will take effect on October 1, 2026, providing each student from secondary to tertiary levels with 100MB of free data daily.

Approximately five million students in public senior secondary schools and public tertiary institutions are expected to benefit. The data will only be usable on approved educational websites and will not affect students' regular data balances.

The initiative is a collaboration between the NCC, Federal Ministry of Education, and ALTON.