The Federal Government says security agencies will in the coming weeks announce guidelines to regulate internet access for children under the age of 16 to safeguard minors from cyber threats and online exposure.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the Zero-Rated Access to Education Platforms initiative, organised in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Alausa said that while the government was aggressively expanding digital learning infrastructure, establishing strict cybersecurity guardrails for minors was imperative to protect young learners.
”We will be regulating internet access for children below 16 years old, and further announcements on this will be coming from our security staff in the coming days or weeks.
”It is our duty to protect every Nigerian child, more so underage children, from all sorts of cyberattacks and digital exposure,” he said.
The minister stressed that digital inclusion must be paired with strict content regulation to prevent indiscriminate exposure to unverified material.
”Zero-rated access should not mean indiscriminate access to every platform that describes itself as educational.
”The content made available to our children must be accessible, credible, safe, and aligned with our educational objectives and curriculum,” Alausa added.
Also, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, a member of the NCC Board of Commissioners, described zero-rated access as a real-time democratisation of learning comparable to the digital e-book revolution.
Ugwuegede noted that providing free connectivity to accredited academic sites ensured that rural and urban students compete on an equal footing.
”By providing free connectivity to approved academic sites, we are ensuring that every learner, whether in a bustling city or a quiet rural community, will have equal access to knowledge.
”This is similar to the revolution of free e-books, but on a far greater scale; we are connecting dreams to opportunities and opportunities to reality,” he said.
Sen. Mohammed Muntari, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, commended telecommunications operators for deploying corporate social responsibility to support national education.
Muntari said the initiative complemented ongoing Federal Government interventions, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), to ensure that no Nigerian child was left behind due to financial constraints.
”The leadership of the National Assembly appreciates the efforts of the telecommunications industry in ensuring our children are not left behind in acquiring knowledge.
”Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, key programmes like NELFUND and zero-rated access are working together to expand opportunities for less-advantaged Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Peter Akpatason, member of the House Committee on Communication, pledged parliamentary oversight to ensure telecommunication providers expand coverage to underserved communities.
”Access to information should not be determined by the ability to pay for data.
”The House of Representatives remains fully committed to regulatory and legislative frameworks that encourage innovation, affordability, and consumer protection,” he said.
Teniola Apata (Teni), popular Nigerian artiste and education advocate, urged students to maximise the free data allocation to build technical skills for the global economy.
Apata, who reflected on the legacy of her late father and founder of Apata Memorial High School, called on young Nigerians to embrace digital learning platforms.
”Giving children access to free data for research might seem small to some, but it goes a very long way toward preparing them to lead tomorrow.
”I encourage all students to sign up, spread the word, and use this opportunity to acquire knowledge and build their future,” she said.
Also speaking, a representative of uLesson Group, Mr Oladipo Olugbemi, assured that edtech providers were aligning content quality and user experience to ensure smooth scaling for learners across all regions.
