Relief For Lecturers! Federal Government Releases Eight-Month Allowance To Varsities, Polytechnics

The Federal Government has released funds for the payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to eligible academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, covering the period from January to August 2026.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the development on Wednesday shortly after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation. The payment is in line with the provisions of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

According to Bush Radio Academy, Alausa said the affected institutions had been notified of the release and were expected to commence payment to eligible academic staff.

CATA is designed to provide academic workers with financial support for essential materials and tools required for teaching, research and other professional responsibilities. The allowance covers areas associated with academic work and forms part of the welfare provisions contained in the renegotiated agreement between the government and ASUU.

The minister said the latest release represents the full CATA payment covering the first eight months of 2026 and directed all affected institutions to begin the process of paying their academic employees.

However, Alausa did not disclose the total amount released by the Federal Government or specify the amount individual academic staff members are expected to receive.

While the payment for academic staff has been released, the minister disclosed that funds meant for non-academic workers were still being processed. He expressed optimism that the payment would become available within the coming weeks.

Alausa described the development as another indication of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of workers in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. He said staff welfare remained an important part of the administration’s education agenda.

The minister further noted that the government’s interventions in the education sector extend beyond salaries and allowances, pointing to investments in infrastructure across tertiary institutions as well as initiatives targeting basic and postgraduate education.

He said the broader objective of the administration is to improve the quality of education available to Nigerian students and strengthen the country’s education system.

The latest release comes after the Federal Government previously released funds for accumulated CATA payments to eligible academic staff in federal universities earlier in 2026. The allowance is part of the revised remuneration framework established under the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.

The government has continued to emphasise its commitment to implementing the agreement reached with education-sector unions while improving working conditions and strengthening teaching and research across public tertiary institutions.