The Federal Government has paid the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTA) to eligible staff of tertiary institutions across Nigeria, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has announced.
Alausa disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during the unveiling of the 2026 agreements between the Federal Government and academic and non-academic staff unions in tertiary institutions.
According to the minister, the allowances took effect from January 2026 and are intended to support the professional and operational needs of eligible personnel in universities, polytechnics and colleges of education nationwide.
He described the unveiling of the agreements as a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to improve workers’ welfare, promote industrial harmony and ensure stability in Nigeria’s tertiary education system.
The minister attributed the development to President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to addressing longstanding challenges in the education sector.
FG Moves to Restore Trust With Tertiary Institution Unions
Alausa said the agreements were expected to rebuild confidence between the government and staff unions following years of disputes, delayed commitments and industrial actions that disrupted academic calendars.
He noted that repeated failures to fully implement previous agreements had weakened trust between the government and unions, leading to prolonged strikes and interruptions to academic activities.
“For decades, agreements between government and staff unions were followed by delays, incomplete or unfulfilled commitments,” the minister said.
He added that the resulting disputes and industrial actions had caused students to lose valuable academic time, increased financial pressure on families and affected teaching and research activities.
Alausa recalled President Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that four-year academic programmes were completed within four years, expressing confidence that the new agreements would help make the promise achievable.
He assured the unions that the Federal Government would meet its obligations under the agreements.
FG Expands Committee to Monitor Agreements
As part of efforts to ensure effective implementation, the Federal Government plans to expand the existing implementation and monitoring committee established for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Alausa said the committee would become a central monitoring body responsible for overseeing agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions across tertiary institutions.
According to him, the expanded committee will include broader representation from unions and relevant stakeholders to improve accountability and address implementation challenges.
The government will also consider making the committee permanent to ensure continuous monitoring and prompt resolution of issues that may arise during implementation.
The minister urged government agencies, governing councils and institutional managements to comply with the implementation guidelines, maintain accurate records and cooperate fully with the committee.
He also appealed to union leaders to use established channels to resolve grievances rather than resorting to public confrontations or strikes.
“I urge all parties to remain committed to the principles of fairness, transparency, discipline and industrial harmony,” Alausa said.
ASUU, ASUP, COEASU, Other Unions Commended
The education minister commended the leadership of ASUU, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and non-teaching staff unions for their contributions to the negotiations.
He said the agreements would be reviewed after three years, in line with provisions allowing either the Federal Government or the unions to initiate further discussions.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, praised the government and the unions for reaching agreements through dialogue and mutual understanding.
Ahmed said the negotiations were guided by collective bargaining, mutual respect and the willingness of both parties to accommodate each other’s concerns.
He urged the unions to exercise patience during implementation, explaining that government processes could take time.
The committee chairman also called for the harmonisation of identified discrepancies in the agreements to ensure that no union felt disadvantaged.
SSANU President Calls for Full Implementation
In his remarks, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, commended Alausa for his role in resolving longstanding issues affecting workers in tertiary institutions.
Ibrahim said the payment of outstanding salary arrears and the implementation of the allowances had improved workers’ morale.
However, he urged the Federal Government to ensure the full implementation of all components of the agreements, stressing that the payment of allowances should not be the end of the process.
He expressed optimism that the inauguration of the joint implementation and monitoring committee would help resolve outstanding issues promptly.
The development represents a step towards improving staff welfare and strengthening relations between the Federal Government and tertiary institution unions, although sustained implementation of the agreements will be crucial to maintaining industrial peace and preventing further disruptions to academic activities.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)