By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Federal Government has released the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) covering eight months for academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday, saying the payment covered the period from January to August 2026.
Alausa made the announcement shortly after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation, describing the payment as part of the Federal Government’s commitment to implementing its agreements with academic staff unions.
“The Office of the Minister of Education is happy to announce that the full CATA payment has now been released by the Federal Government from January to August 2026 to all universities, all polytechnics and colleges of education,” the minister said.
He added that the affected institutions should have received notification to commence payment of the allowance to their academic staff.
CATA is designed to support academic staff with expenses associated with teaching, research and professional development, including academic publications, conference participation, internet access, membership of learned societies and books.
The latest release follows an earlier disbursement in June, when the Federal Government released funds to settle five months of accumulated CATA arrears for eligible academic staff in federal universities.
At the time, the government directed vice-chancellors to ensure immediate clearance of outstanding payments and refund any funds universities had previously used from internally generated revenue to cover the allowance.
The allowance forms part of the revised remuneration framework agreed between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), following the 2025 renegotiated agreement signed in January 2026.
Under the agreement, the government approved a 40 per cent upward review of the emoluments of university academic staff, with CATA forming a key component of the revised remuneration structure.
The agreement also restructured several earned academic allowances and introduced a professorial cadre allowance for senior academics, with the broader objective of improving staff welfare, strengthening teaching and research, and making Nigeria’s tertiary institutions more competitive.
The Federal Government subsequently extended revised remuneration arrangements to academic staff in federal polytechnics and colleges of education following agreements reached with their respective unions in April 2026.
The reviewed packages included CATA and earned academic allowances, with implementation taking effect from January 1, 2026.
Alausa said the latest payment was another indication of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
“This is another indication of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to our academic and non-academic staff. President Bola Tinubu made a commitment to ensuring that the quality and welfare of our staff are prioritised. He has prioritised the welfare of our staff,” he said.
The minister, however, disclosed that payment to non-academic staff was still being processed and expressed optimism that the funds would be made available in the coming weeks.
The latest development is expected to further address one of the recurring sources of tension between the Federal Government and tertiary education unions, as delayed payment of allowances has historically contributed to disputes and industrial actions in the sector.
In June, ASUU had urged the government to clarify the meaning of “eligible” academic staff in the CATA payment directive, warning that ambiguity over eligibility could create fresh disputes within universities.
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