Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA,Nigeria – The high cost of internet data has emerged as a major barrier to digital education in Nigeria, prompting the Federal Government to launch an initiative aimed at giving learners zero-rated access to approved educational platforms.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, launched the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria on Thursday.
The programme is designed to reduce the financial burden of accessing online learning resources for students in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
Alausa said the intervention would help prevent learners who cannot afford regular data subscriptions from being excluded from educational opportunities available online.
“The initiative goes beyond connectivity. It is about putting learning within reach of children who may otherwise be unable to afford the data required to access it,” he said.
The government says removing data costs from approved educational platforms will make online learning more accessible, particularly for learners in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Muntari Dandutse, stressed the need to ensure that no Nigerian child is excluded from access to knowledge and educational opportunities.
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