The Federal Government has released the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) covering January to August 2026 for academic staff across federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Wednesday, September 9, shortly after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.
CATA is an allowance designed to assist academic staff with the cost of purchasing tools and materials needed for teaching, research and other academic responsibilities.
According to Alausa, the latest payment is part of the Federal Government’s implementation of its 2025 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said, “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 also disclosed that the government had begun processing payments relating to non-academic staff, with the funds expected to be made available soon.
“And also, the payment to non-academic staff, we’re hoping that these funds will be made available, hopefully, in the next few weeks,” he said.
READ ALSO: KASU: Over 200 Lecturers Exit, ASUU Issues Two-Week Strike Ultimatum
Alausa described the release of the allowance as further evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to improve the welfare of workers in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
“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 said the administration’s education agenda was not limited to staff welfare, pointing to investments in infrastructure across tertiary institutions and other levels of education.
“Beyond prioritising the welfare of our staff, he has also significantly invested in infrastructure at all our tertiary institutions and also basic and postgraduate education,” the minister said.
He further said the government was working towards providing Nigerian children with an education capable of meeting 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.
Alausa also commended President Tinubu for what he described as a transformative approach to reforming Nigeria’s education sector.