NCC, ALTON Roll Out Zero Rated Access to Educational Platforms

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) have recently launched a Zero-Rated Data Access initiative to provide free data to eligible learners. The program aims to promote affordable and accessible educational resources across Nigeria, in line with the NCC's mandate to deliver modern, efficient, and affordable communication services.

The initiative operates on an Operator-Sponsored Model, offering eligible users a daily allowance of up to 100 megabytes of data to access specific educational platforms. This allocation provides learners with approximately 700MB of educational data per week, 3GB monthly, and up to 36.5GB annually. The program's significance is not solely based on the daily data allowance, but rather the cumulative benefit over time for millions of learners.

NCC's Director, Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, and ALTON's Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, jointly announced the initiative. The NCC's Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Dr. Aminu Maida, highlighted the program's alignment with President Bola Tinubu's vision of developing a $1 trillion economy through investment in people's education, skills, and knowledge.

He emphasized the importance of increased connectivity in narrowing the gap in access to educational resources across different parts of the country. ALTON's Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, revealed that telecommunications operators have made significant contributions, amounting to nearly N200 billion for the initial pilot involving 5,000 learners, covering daily data allocations, network resources, devices, and other supporting contributions.