The Federal Government has approved the immediate and full payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, covering the period January to August 2026.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, shortly after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation on Wednesday.
CATA is a financial allowance provided to academic staff to support the purchase of essential tools and materials needed for teaching, research, and other academic activities. It has long been a subject of concern among university lecturers, many of whom have consistently pushed for its timely disbursement.
According to the minister, the payment was made in line with the provisions of the 2025 Federal Government–Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreement, and he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fully implementing the terms of the deal.
He also disclosed that payment to non-academic staff in these institutions was currently being processed and would be released in the coming weeks.
“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,” Alausa said.
He added, “All these institutions should have received notification to start paying CATA to all academic staff. And also, the payment to non-academic staff, we’re hoping that these funds will be made available, hopefully, in the next few weeks.”
The development is expected to bring some relief to academic staff across the country, many of whom have expressed frustration in the past over delayed allowances and unmet agreements between the government and unions.
No official statement has yet been released regarding the exact disbursement timeline for individual institutions, but staff are expected to begin receiving alerts in line with the minister’s announcement.
Behind The Payment: A History Of Tension Between FG And ASUU
The CATA allowance has been one of several contentious issues in the long-running relationship between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Over the years, disputes over allowances, funding, and welfare packages have repeatedly triggered strikes that disrupted academic calendars across the country.
The 2025 FG-ASUU agreement was signed as part of efforts to address these recurring grievances and restore stability to Nigeria’s tertiary education sector. Since then, stakeholders have kept a close watch on the government’s commitment to honoring its financial obligations under the deal.
This latest CATA disbursement is being seen as a step toward rebuilding trust between the government and academic unions, though many will be watching closely to see whether subsequent payments, including those for non-academic staff, are released as promised.
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