The Federal Government says it has paid the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTA) to eligible staff in tertiary institutions across the country.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced this on Tuesday in Abuja at the unveiling of the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and academic and non-academic staff unions.
He said the allowances took effect from January 2026. They are meant to support the professional and operational needs of eligible staff in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
According to Alausa, the unveiling is a major step towards improving staff welfare, strengthening industrial harmony and keeping the tertiary education system stable. He credited the achievement to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to resolving long-standing problems in the sector.
“For decades, agreements between government and staff unions were followed by delays, incomplete or unfulfilled commitments.
“Trust weakened, disputes resurfaced, and prolonged industrial actions repeatedly disrupted the academic calendars of our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education,” he said.
The minister noted that the disruptions made students lose valuable academic time, raised costs for families and hurt teaching and research.
He recalled the President’s promise that four-year academic programmes would be completed within four years. According to him, the agreements will help turn that promise into reality.
Alausa assured the unions that the Federal Government will meet its obligations under the agreements.
“Government has decided to expand the existing implementation and monitoring committee established for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) into a single committee responsible for monitoring all agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions across tertiary institutions,” he said.
The expanded committee will have wider representation of unions and other stakeholders. The minister added that the government may also make it permanent so that implementation problems can be handled quickly.
He urged government agencies, governing councils and institutional management to follow the implementation guidelines, keep accurate records and work with the committee.
He also appealed to union leaders to channel grievances through established mechanisms instead of public confrontations or strikes.
The President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mohammed Ibrahim, urged the government to ensure full implementation of all parts of the agreements, not just the payment of allowances.
Digital Operations Manager at The Students Forum Nigeria.
