Education Minister Alausa Launches New Allowances for Tertiary Workers

On October 13, 2026, the Federal Government, through Minister of Education Dr Tunji Alausa, announced the commencement of payments for the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTA) to eligible staff in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. This initiative, effective from January 2026, aims to improve the welfare of workers and foster industrial harmony.

During the unveiling of the 2026 agreements with academic and non-academic staff unions, Alausa emphasized the importance of these allowances in addressing historical disputes and restoring trust between the government and the unions. He acknowledged that previous agreements had faced implementation issues, leading to disruptions in academic activities.

The minister stated that the new agreements would support President Bola Tinubu's goal of ensuring students complete their four-year programs on time. Alausa also announced plans to expand the monitoring committee for agreements with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to include a broader range of unions and stakeholders.