The Federal Government has commenced payment of approved allowances to eligible academic and non-academic staff of tertiary institutions under agreements reached with their unions, effective January 1, 2026.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced this in Abuja on Tuesday during the unveiling of the 2026 agreements, describing the development as a major step towards improving staff welfare and restoring industrial harmony in the tertiary education sector.
Alausa said the agreements were part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and demonstrated the government’s commitment to collective bargaining, accountability and uninterrupted academic calendars across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
He noted that prolonged industrial disputes and delayed agreements had contributed to recurring strikes, disrupted academic activities and extended students’ academic programmes.
The minister said the agreements were intended to address these challenges and support the government’s goal of ensuring that four-year academic programmes were completed within four years.
He explained that the agreements provide for the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) for eligible members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU).
They also provide for the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA) for eligible non-teaching personnel in tertiary institutions, in line with agreed provisions and implementation guidelines.
To ensure compliance, Alausa announced the expansion of the existing committee monitoring the agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to cover other academic and non-academic staff unions.
He said the expanded Implementation and Monitoring Committee would track progress, assess implementation milestones, identify challenges and submit periodic reports, adding that the government was considering making the committee permanent.
The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, described the agreements as an important milestone in improving staff welfare, strengthening industrial relations and promoting stability in tertiary institutions.
She urged all parties to fulfil their obligations, stressing that academic and non-academic personnel played complementary roles in teaching, research, learning and institutional administration.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies, in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Ishaku Musa Mohammed, said successful negotiations must be followed by effective implementation, transparency and continuous consultation.
The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, said the agreements required shared responsibility and sustained cooperation between the government and organised labour.
She added that the Joint Implementation and Monitoring Committee would help address implementation challenges and safeguard industrial harmony across tertiary institutions.
The Chairman of the Federal Government Tertiary Institutions Expanded Negotiation Committee and former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, attributed the successful negotiations to dialogue, mutual respect, empathy and compromise among the parties.
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, urged stakeholders to rely on established channels for accurate information, noting that agreements must pass through the appropriate administrative procedures before implementation is completed.
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, also called for policy continuity, sustained investment and consistent implementation to achieve lasting improvements in tertiary education.
The Federal Government acknowledged the contributions of ASUU, ASUP, COEASU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, the National Association of Academic Technologists and other participating unions.
The agreements provide for a three-year review to assess implementation and address emerging concerns through continued engagement between the government and the unions.
The ministry said the implementation was expected to improve workers’ welfare and morale, strengthen institutional performance and reduce avoidable disruptions to students’ academic programmes.
