The Federal Government has announced the full payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) to academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for the period January to August 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday shortly after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation in Abuja.
CATA is a financial allowance provided to academic staff to support the purchase of essential tools and materials required for teaching, research and other academic activities.
Alausa said the payment was in accordance with the provisions of the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement and reaffirmed government’s commitment to its implementation.
“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,” he said.
“All these institutions should have received notification to start paying CATA to all academic staff.”
The Minister added that payment to non-academic staff was also being processed.
“And also, the payment to non-academic staff, we're hoping that these funds will be made available, hopefully, in the next few weeks,” he said.
According to Alausa, the payment is another indication of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of academic and non-academic staff in 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.
The Minister noted that the administration’s education reforms extend beyond staff welfare, with significant investments in infrastructure across tertiary institutions, as well as in basic and postgraduate education.
“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,” Alausa added.
He commended President Tinubu for what he described as a transformative initiative in the education sector.