FG releases eight-month CATA payment to tertiary institution staff

The Federal Government has released funds for the full payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to eligible academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, covering January to August 2026.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday, after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation, according to a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Education.

CATA is an allowance designed to support academic staff in purchasing essential tools and materials for teaching, research, and other academic activities.

What FG is saying

The Ministry of Education said all federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education have received notification to commence payment to eligible academic staff.

• According to the statement, Alausa said the payment was being implemented in line with the 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria–Academic Staff Union of Universities (FGN–ASUU) Agreement.
• The minister said the payment reflects the government’s commitment to implementing approved agreements and prioritising the welfare of personnel in the education sector.
• The Federal Government is also making arrangements for the corresponding allowance for non-academic staff in federal tertiary institutions.

Alausa said funding for the payment is expected to be made available within the coming weeks, adding that arrangements were already underway for the corresponding allowance.

He reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving staff welfare, infrastructure and the overall quality of education under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Federal Ministry of Education also reiterated its commitment to ensuring the effective implementation of approved interventions and agreements across the education sector.

Get up to speed

The latest CATA payment is part of the Federal Government’s implementation of the broader 2025 FGN–ASUU Agreement, which followed years of negotiations over the review of the 2009 agreement.

• The agreement was reached on December 23, 2025, and formally signed and unveiled in January 2026. It took effect from January 1, 2026, after an eight-year renegotiation process that began in 2017.
• The deal covers conditions of service, university funding, autonomy, academic freedom and other reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s public university system.
• By February 2026, the Federal Government had begun implementing the agreement, including the 40% upward review of the emoluments of university academic staff.

The implementation also covered the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), which provides support for expenses including journal publications, conference participation, internet access, learned-society membership and books.

The Federal Government subsequently inaugurated an Implementation Monitoring Committee in June 2026 to track compliance with the agreement, address emerging implementation challenges and help sustain industrial harmony in the university system.

What you should know

The Federal Government is also expanding support for student entrepreneurship through its Student Venture Capital Grant, with N2.5 billion earmarked for the second cohort of the programme.

Under the initiative, up to 50 student-led ventures across Nigeria can receive as much as N50 million each in equity-free funding.

The programme is targeted at student entrepreneurs with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based business ideas.