FG Moves to Restrict Internet Access for Under-16s, Tasks Security Agencies with Strict Rules as Govt Scraps Data Costs for Real Students

The Federal Government is moving to impose strict regulatory limits on internet access for children under the age of 16, unveiling a nationwide push to safeguard young Nigerians from cyberattacks, predatory content, and digital exploitation.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the disclosure in Abuja during the official unveiling of the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria, organized in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Alausa stated that while the administration is aggressively expanding digital infrastructure to democratize education, the rapid proliferation of connected devices necessitates firm safeguards to shield impressionable minds. He revealed that specialized security apparatuses will roll out comprehensive regulatory directives and operational guidelines in the coming days and weeks to formalize the restrictions.

The minister stressed that digital expansion cannot proceed without robust child-protection protocols. He noted that as more children use digital gadgets for academic and recreational activities, the state carries an unavoidable duty to protect underage learners from the growing hazards of unmonitored online spaces, identity theft, and malicious material.

The planned restrictions are tied to a wider educational reform package that eliminates mobile data expenses for students accessing approved academic portals. Under the zero-rated policy—developed under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI)—senior secondary and tertiary students will be able to access digital textbooks, online lectures, and reference libraries without spending their personal funds on mobile data.

However, the education minister drew a firm line between educational empowerment and unrestricted digital browsing. He cautioned that zero-rated connectivity must not become a conduit for uncontrolled exposure to unregulated websites, insisting that only platforms vetted and certified by educational authorities will be integrated into the free-data channel.

Highlighting the telecommunications dimension, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede of the NCC Board of Commissioners described the free-data rollout as a transformative leap that provides equal educational footing for learners in remote villages and major cities alike. He noted that removing the data barrier ensures that financial deprivation does not prevent talented youths from acquiring modern knowledge.

Lawmakers in the National Assembly, including members of the House Committee on Communication and the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions, have pledged strong legislative support for the twin-track policy.

Parliamentary leaders noted that pairing subsidized access to verified academic resources with age-appropriate online protections will create a secure digital environment, allowing Nigerian youths to build tech-driven skills without falling prey to the dark corners of the web.