The Nigerian Communications Commission is developing a framework to make digital learning more affordable for students across the country. The regulator held a public consultation forum in Abuja on Tuesday to gather feedback from telcos, schools and other players in the education sector.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis at the NCC, represented executive vice-chairman Aminu Maida at the event. He stressed that the initiative's success hinges on buy-in from all stakeholders in Nigeria's digital education space.
The framework must balance the needs of content providers, educators, students, telecom operators, families and communities, Shuaibu explained. The core aim is simple but urgent: unlock digital classrooms for millions of Nigerian students priced out by expensive data.
Zero-rating—where users access selected services without data charges—offers a potential solution to this problem. The NCC believes the model could dramatically expand reach to educational materials, particularly for students hit hard by connectivity costs.
High data prices remain a major barrier to digital learning adoption in Nigeria, stakeholders have repeatedly flagged. Poor connectivity and unequal access to resources continue to hamper learning, research and skills development nationwide.
Zainab Suleiman, director of ICT at the Federal Ministry of Education, backed the initiative. She said zero-rated access would help broaden availability of approved educational content for learners and teachers across the country.
"The zero-rated access initiative is very important to the education sector because it addresses barriers that have continued to affect learning continuity and access to educational opportunities," Suleiman told the forum.
Yinka Oyerinde, digital transformation specialist at UNESCO, called the NCC's push a strategic move that could help bridge Nigeria's digital literacy gap. He noted the timing made sense given years of prior investment by government agencies in digital skills.
Programmes rolled out by the National Information Technology Development Agency, the Ministry of Education and other bodies have created the groundwork for success, Oyerinde said. "Some may say it is a bit late or overdue, but I think it is strategically positioned to ensure maximum impact because the precursor factors required for success have already been put in place," he added.
Folasade Loyede, director of ICT at the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, stressed that cutting costs to access learning content matters for digital inclusion. Emmanuel Udoidiok, who represented Loyede at the event, echoed this view.
The NCC's move reflects growing recognition that affordability blocks remain among the toughest obstacles to online education in Nigeria. Officials believe partnership with telcos offers the most promising path forward.
