Oluwatobi Adu 
Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce regulated internet access for children below the age of 16 as part of measures to strengthen online protection for Nigerian children.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday during the launch of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
Alausa said the planned regulation would complement the government’s digital education drive by helping protect children from cyberattacks and other forms of online harm.
FG Links Digital Learning to Child Safety
The Minister said the safety and wellbeing of children must remain central to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to children’s welfare required the government and other stakeholders to remain vigilant against emerging threats in the digital environment.
He disclosed that “at some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years” as part of efforts to strengthen online child protection.
The Minister said the planned measure was particularly important as the government increasingly uses digital platforms to expand access to education.
Zero-Rated Platforms to Cut Data Costs
Alausa also announced that the Federal Government’s digital education initiative would remove data costs from approved educational platforms for millions of learners in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
He said the intervention would help learners from low-income households and underserved communities’ access educational resources without the financial burden of regular data subscriptions.
The Minister called for sustained collaboration among the Federal and state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications operators, technology companies, development partners, educational institutions and teachers.
He said Nigeria must move beyond producing young people who merely consume technology and instead develop a generation capable of creating technology, innovating, solving problems and competing globally would complement the government’s digital education drive by helping protect children from cyberattacks and other forms of online harm.
The Minister said the safety and wellbeing of children must remain central to Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to children’s welfare required the government and other stakeholders to remain vigilant against emerging threats in the digital environment.
“President Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare of every Nigerian child requires the government and stakeholders to remain vigilant against threats in the digital environment, including cyberattacks and other forms of online harm,” Alausa said.
He disclosed that “at some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years” as part of efforts to strengthen online child protection.
The Minister said the planned measure was particularly important as the government increasingly uses digital platforms to expand access to education.
Zero-Rated Platforms to Cut Data Costs
Alausa also announced that the Federal Government’s digital education initiative would remove data costs from approved educational platforms for millions of learners in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
He said the intervention would help learners from low-income households and underserved communities’ access educational resources without the financial burden of regular data subscriptions.
“A mobile phone, tablet or computer could become a classroom, library and gateway to opportunity when cost is no longer a barrier,” he said.
The Minister called for sustained collaboration among the Federal and state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications operators, technology companies, development partners, educational institutions and teachers.
He said Nigeria must move beyond producing young people who merely consume technology and instead develop a generation capable of creating technology, innovating, solving problems and competing globally.
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Korede Abdullah