FG pays eight-month tools allowance to tertiary institution lecturers
The Federal Government has announced the release of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to academic staff of federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for eight months.
The allowance covers the period from January to August 2026.
Tunji Alausa, minister of education, disclosed this on Wednesday after inaugurating the ministerial committee on accreditation.
CATA is a financial allowance designed to assist academic staff in purchasing essential tools and materials needed for teaching, research and other academic activities.
Alausa said the payment was made in line with the provisions of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He said all affected institutions had been notified to commence payment of the allowance to their academic staff.
“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.
“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 minister described the payment as part of President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to improve the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in tertiary institutions.
Alausa said the government’s education reforms also included investments in infrastructure across tertiary institutions, as well as in basic and postgraduate education.
He added that the administration was committed to ensuring that Nigerian children receive quality education that meets 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,” he said.
