Federal Government has announced the full release of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) for academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, covering the period from January to August 2026.
Gatekeepers News reports that Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.
Alausa said the funds had been released to the affected institutions and they had been notified to commence payment to eligible academic staff. CATA is intended to support lecturers with expenses related to teaching, research and other academic activities.
The minister said the payment was in line with the 2025 Federal Government–Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreement, reaffirming the government’s commitment to implementing the agreement.
Alausa also disclosed that payment to non-academic staff was being processed, with the funds expected to be made available in the coming weeks.
The latest disbursement follows an earlier release in June covering five months of accumulated CATA arrears for eligible academic staff in federal universities. The government had directed universities to clear the outstanding payments.
The minister described the latest payment as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to improve the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in tertiary institutions. He also highlighted ongoing government investments in infrastructure and reforms across the education sector.
