“FG Releases Full Academic Tools Allowance To University, Polytechnic And College Lecturers” — Payment Covers January To August 2026

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

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

The Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance is intended to support lecturers in acquiring materials and services required for teaching, research and professional development. It covers expenses relating to academic publications, conferences, internet access, membership of learned societies and books.

Alausa said the funds had been released to the affected institutions and that their authorities should begin paying eligible academic staff.

“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,” the minister said.

He explained that the payment formed part of the Federal Government’s implementation of agreements reached with unions representing academic staff in the country’s tertiary institutions.

For university lecturers, the allowance is a component of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which took effect on January 1, 2026.

The government had earlier released funds covering five months of outstanding allowance to academic staff in federal universities. The latest release extends the payment through August and includes lecturers in federal polytechnics and colleges of education.

Alausa disclosed that arrangements were also being made to release funds for the payment of allowances to non-academic staff.

“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.

The minister described the release as evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to improving the welfare of workers in tertiary institutions.

He added that the administration was also investing in infrastructure across tertiary institutions and implementing reforms aimed at improving basic, tertiary and postgraduate education.