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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

FG Clears Five-Month Allowance Arrears for University Lecturers

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Nigerian Federal Government has released funds to pay five months of outstanding Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance to university lecturers.
  • The Minister of Education instructed vice-chancellors to ensure immediate disbursement of these funds to eligible academic staff.
  • Universities that previously used their internally generated revenue for these payments are to be reimbursed upon receipt of the government allocation.

The Nigerian Federal Government has released funds to settle five months of accumulated Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) owed to lecturers in federal universities. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has directed vice-chancellors to ensure the immediate disbursement of these funds to all eligible academic staff.

The Federal Government has released funds for the payment of five (5) months Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance to eligible academic staff of federal universities, in accordance with the provisions of the signed FGN/ASUU 2025 Agreement, and in fulfilment of the FGN’s commitment to effective implementation of the Agreement.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaThe Minister of Education stated the reason for the fund release in a letter to vice-chancellors.

A letter dated June 4, 2026, obtained by The PUNCH, indicates that the payment is in line with the provisions of the 2025 agreement signed between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The government is fulfilling its commitment to the effective implementation of this agreement.

Consequently, you are requested to ensure the immediate clearance of all outstanding CATA payments due to lecturers and other eligible academic staff in your university.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaThe Minister directed vice-chancellors on the disbursement of the funds.

The directive mandates vice-chancellors to promptly clear all outstanding CATA payments. For universities that may have advanced funds from their internally generated revenue or other institutional sources to cover these allowances since January 2026, the letter specifies that such amounts should be refunded to the relevant university accounts once the Federal Government allocation is received.

Where the university had advanced funds from its Internally Generated Revenue or any other institutional source for the payment of the allowance from January 2026, appropriate steps should be taken to refund such amounts to the relevant university accounts and budget heads upon receipt of the Federal Government allocation.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaThe Minister provided instructions for universities that had pre-funded the allowance payments.

Minister Alausa urged university authorities to maintain strict compliance with financial regulations and to keep proper records of all payments and reimbursements. He emphasized the urgency of the matter, requesting that it be given the highest priority.

Kindly accord this matter the highest priority and urgency.

— Dr. Tunji AlausaThe Minister urged vice-chancellors to treat the payment with urgency.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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