The Federal Government has released 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.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday shortly after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.

CATA is a financial allowance designed to support academic staff in procuring essential tools and materials needed for teaching, research and other academic activities.

Alausa said the release was in line with the provisions of the 2025 Federal Government–Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreement, reaffirming the government’s commitment to implementing the agreement.

“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.

“All these institutions should have received notification to start paying CATA to all academic staff,” he said.

The minister disclosed that the payment of the allowance to non-academic staff was also being processed, with the funds expected to be made available within the next few weeks.

“And also, the payment to non-academic staff, we’re hoping that these funds will be made available, hopefully, in the next few weeks,” Alausa said.

According to the minister, the release of the allowance demonstrates President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

“This is another indication of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to our academic and non-academic staff. President Bola Tinubu made a commitment to ensuring that the quality and welfare of our staff are prioritised. He has prioritised the welfare of our staff,” he said.

Alausa said the administration’s education reforms went beyond staff welfare, noting that the Federal Government was also making significant investments in infrastructure across tertiary institutions, as well as in basic and postgraduate education.

He stressed that the administration was committed to ensuring that Nigerian children have access to quality education capable of competing with global 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,” the minister said.

Alausa commended President Tinubu for what he described as a transformative approach to improving Nigeria’s education sector.