ALAUSA ANNOUNCES PLANS TO REGULATE INTERNET ACCESS FOR UNDER-16S
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, says the Federal Government plans to regulate internet access for children below 16 years as part of efforts to strengthen online protection for Nigerian children.
Alausa disclosed this in Abuja while inaugurating the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.
The initiative is designed to remove data costs from access to approved educational platforms, allowing millions of learners in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions to access digital learning materials.
The minister said the move would help reduce the impact of poverty, location and high internet costs on access to quality education.
He explained that making educational platforms available at no data cost would enable learners, particularly those from low-income families and underserved communities, to use mobile phones, tablets and computers for learning.
Alausa said the initiative is part of the Federal Government’s education reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI, which places digitalisation at the centre of education planning and delivery.
He said the government would also work with relevant agencies and telecommunications operators to make digital education more accessible while ensuring that children are protected from online risks.
The minister called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, the Nigerian Communications Commission, telecommunications companies, technology firms, schools and development partners to expand safe and effective digital learning.
Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Peter Akpatason, said the high cost of data remains a major challenge to digital education and commended the initiative.
Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund, Senator Mohammed Dandutse, stressed the need to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to knowledge and educational opportunities.