The Federal Ministry of Education on Thursday announced the removal of data costs to allow millions of Nigerian students to access approved educational platforms without paying for internet data.

It also disclosed plans to regulate internet access for children below 16 years.

The initiatives were unveiled by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, under the Initiative for Zero-Rated Access to Educational Platforms and Content in Nigeria.

The minister, who spoke at the launch of the initiative, said the initiative formed part of the digital transformation component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, being implemented through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.

According to him, government was determined to ensure that the cost of internet connectivity no longer determined which Nigerian child could access quality educational resources.

He explained that the initiative was not merely about providing connectivity but about ensuring that learning remained within the reach of children who could otherwise be shut out because of the cost of data

Regarding the planned regulation of internet access for every child below 16 years, the minister cited growing concerns over cyberattacks and other threats associated with children’s increasing exposure to digital platforms.

“At some point, there would be regulated internet access for every child below the age of 16 years as part of measures to strengthen online child protection,” the minister said.

A two-storey building undergoing manual demolition partially collapsed in the early hours of Thursday in the Alimosho area of Lagos State, leaving one person dead and two others injured.

The incident occurred at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) received a distress call and immediately dispatched its Alpha Eagle Response Team from the Cappa, Oshodi unit at about 12:56 a.m.

First responders arrived promptly, cordoned off the scene and began search-and-rescue operations. Preliminary findings indicated the structure caved in while workers were carrying out the demolition, trapping several people under the debris.

In a coordinated effort involving LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), two adult males were successfully pulled alive from the rubble.

They received on-site first aid from LASAMBUS personnel before being transferred to a nearby health facility for further treatment.

Sadly, one adult male was recovered dead from beneath the collapsed structure.

LASEMA Permanent Secretary Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

He also reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s commitment to protecting lives and property, warning developers and property owners against compromising safety during construction or demolition works.

Further updates are expected as investigations continue into the exact cause of the collapse.

The Lagos State Government has confirmed six laboratory-verified diphtheria cases in 2026, drawn from 53 suspected infections, while insisting the state is not facing a widespread outbreak.

Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi disclosed the figures at a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, on the state’s diphtheria preparedness and response. He said all six confirmed patients had been treated and that their contacts were traced and monitored through the incubation period.

“We are appealing to all Lagosians to remain calm. There is currently no outbreak of diphtheria in Lagos. We are taking precautionary measures,” Abayomi said.

Officials said the extra vigilance is because outbreaks are continuing in other parts of Nigeria and because Lagos has a large, highly mobile population. The state has strengthened surveillance across its 57 local government and local council development areas, expanded laboratory testing and designated treatment centres. Those facilities are Mainland Hospital (formerly the Infectious Disease Hospital), Yaba; Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos Island; Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

Abayomi urged parents to complete the three-dose pentavalent vaccine schedule at six, 10 and 14 weeks, noting that full childhood immunisation coverage in Lagos is about 64 per cent. Residents with a severe sore throat, fever, weakness, difficulty swallowing or breathing, neck swelling, or a white or grey membrane at the back of the throat were advised to seek care promptly and avoid self-medication, especially after travel to affected states.