By Asaye Bankole
The Federal Government has released the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) covering January to August 2026 for academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, made the announcement on Wednesday after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.
CATA is designed to provide academic personnel with financial support for purchasing materials and equipment needed for teaching, research and other professional responsibilities.
Alausa said the payment was part of the Federal Government’s implementation of the 2025 agreement reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
He explained that the funds had been released to the affected tertiary institutions and that academic staff should be able to access their payments through their respective institutions.
“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 institutions had been notified to commence payment to eligible academic staff.
The minister also disclosed that the government was working on the payment of the corresponding allowance to non-academic staff.
According to him, funds for the non-academic personnel are expected to be made available within the coming weeks, after which the payment process will begin.
Alausa said the development reflected the government’s broader efforts to improve the welfare of workers in the tertiary education sector and strengthen the country’s education system.
He noted that the administration’s focus was not limited to staff allowances, pointing to ongoing investments in infrastructure across tertiary institutions.
The minister said government interventions also covered basic and postgraduate education, with the broader objective of improving learning conditions and raising educational standards nationwide.
Alausa further stated that the administration was committed to ensuring that Nigerian students receive quality education capable of competing with international standards.
He described education as a major priority for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the government would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving both the welfare of education workers and the quality of learning available to students.
The payment of the allowance is expected to provide additional financial support for academic staff as they meet the demands of teaching, research and other academic activities across federal tertiary institutions.
COMMENTS