By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Federal Government has released the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance for academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, covering January to August 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.
Alausa said the payment was made in fulfilment of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
According to him, all affected institutions have been notified to commence payment of the allowance to their academic staff.
“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.
The Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance is intended to support lecturers in purchasing essential materials and tools required for teaching, research and other academic activities.
The minister also disclosed that payment of the corresponding allowance to non-academic staff was being processed and could be released within the next few weeks.
Alausa said the latest payment underscored the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving staff welfare and strengthening Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
He added that the government was also investing in infrastructure across tertiary institutions, as well as basic and postgraduate education.
The minister maintained that the reforms were aimed at ensuring Nigerian students receive quality education capable of competing with global standards.
