Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Chief Idris Olorunnimbe, has called for the immediate zero-rating of credible educational websites across Nigeria.
This, he described it as a decisive step toward expanding access to learning and reshaping the future of millions of young Nigerians.
In a strongly worded policy statement, Olorunnimbe urged telecom operators to prioritise making educational platforms data-free, arguing that the cost of internet data remains a major barrier to digital learning for students nationwide.
“Zero-rate educational websites. Make learning data-free. Let’s do it now,” he stated.
The NCC chairman disclosed that he had recently issued the charge during a courtesy visit by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON to the Commission’s Ikoyi office, noting that while the response from operators was encouraging, coordinated action across government, regulators and industry stakeholders was now required.
He said the initiative aligns with the broader education agenda of President Bola Tinubu, citing existing interventions such as free WAEC and NECO examinations in Lagos and the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND), which has reportedly supported nearly two million students.
According to Olorunnimbe, zero-rating would allow users to access designated educational websites and digital libraries without data charges, describing it as the “digital equivalent” of free public education.
Drawing parallels with historical and global examples, he referenced the introduction of free primary education by Obafemi Awolowo in 1955, describing the proposed data-free access as “Awo’s free education policy in the digital age.”
He also cited international models, including educational zero-rating initiatives in South Africa, digital expansion driven by low data costs in India, and school connectivity programmes in Rwanda, as evidence that reducing access costs can drive large-scale digital and economic transformation.
Olorunnimbe acknowledged concerns around differential access and regulatory fairness but stressed that Nigeria’s proposed model would be government-led, transparently governed and based on clear eligibility criteria for educational platforms.
He called on state governors to reduce Right-of-Way charges to encourage infrastructure deployment in underserved communities and to strengthen enforcement against vandalism of telecom assets. He also assured operators that the NCC would work collaboratively to manage traffic impacts, capacity planning and cybersecurity concerns, including potential misuse of zero-rated domains.
The chairman further urged civil society, development partners and private sector players to support the initiative through device donations, teacher training programmes and local content development, noting that access without relevant content would be ineffective.
Citing data from UNICEF and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimating that Nigeria has approximately 20 million out-of-school children, he described the proposal as an urgent intervention with long-term national impact.
“As Chairman of the NCC, I will continue to push for this with every platform available,” he said, pledging public accountability, stakeholder engagement and structured implementation timelines.
He concluded that just as earlier generations expanded opportunity through free education, Nigeria now has the chance to build its future through free digital access to learning.
