The Federal Government has released funds for the payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to academic staff across federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, covering January to August 2026.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the development on Wednesday after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.
Alausa said the payment was made in line with the provisions of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to him, the relevant tertiary institutions had been notified to commence payment of the allowance to eligible academic staff.
“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.
“All these institutions should have received notification to start paying CATA to all academic staff,” the minister said.
CATA is a financial allowance designed to assist academic staff in purchasing essential tools and materials needed for teaching, research and other academic activities.
The minister also disclosed that the government was processing payments relating to non-academic staff, expressing hope that the funds would be made available within the next few weeks.
“And also, the payment to non-academic staff, we’re hoping that these funds will be made available, hopefully, in the next few weeks,” Alausa said.
He described the release of the CATA funds as further evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of workers in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
Alausa said the administration had prioritised the welfare of both academic and non-academic personnel while also pursuing broader reforms in the education sector.
“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.
Beyond staff welfare, the minister said the Federal Government was investing significantly in infrastructure across tertiary institutions, as well as in basic and postgraduate education.
He added that the administration’s broader objective was to improve the quality of education available to Nigerian children and bring it in line with international standards.
“This is a President that believes so much in education. He has delivered beyond his promises to ensure that every single child in this country gets the highest quality of education comparable to anywhere in the world,” Alausa said.
The minister commended the President for what he described as a transformative approach to the education sector, stressing the administration’s continued focus on staff welfare, infrastructure and educational quality.
