The Federal Government has released the full Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) for academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, covering January to August 2026.
Education Minister, Dr Tunji Alausa, made this known on Wednesday after inaugurating the Ministerial Committee on Accreditation.
CATA is an allowance meant to help academic staff buy essential tools and materials for teaching, research and other academic duties.
Alausa said the payment followed the 2025 Federal Government–Academic Staff Union of Universities agreement.
He said, “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 payments for non-academic staff were 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.
Alausa linked the payment to President Bola Tinubu’s focus on staff welfare and education reforms, including investment in tertiary, basic and postgraduate education.
He said the administration wants Nigerian children to receive quality education comparable to global standards.
He also praised Tinubu for what he called a transformative education initiative.
