FG moves to end ASUU standoff, clears five-month allowance backlog

The federal government has disbursed funds to settle five months of unpaid Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) owed to academic staff in federal public universities, instructing vice-chancellors to begin immediate payment to eligible lecturers.

Tunji Alausa, the minister of education, made this known through a directive he issued recently, instructing university heads to clear all outstanding CATA balances without delay, in fulfilment of the federal government’s 2025 agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

“The federal government has released funds for the payment of five months Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance to eligible academic staff of federal universities, in accordance with the provisions of the signed FGN/ASUU 2025 Agreement,” the minister’s statement read.

Universities that had previously advanced CATA payments from internally generated revenue (IGR) or other institutional sources are directed to refund such expenditures to the appropriate accounts and budget heads upon receipt of the federal allocation.

Alausa also directed vice-chancellors to maintain strict compliance with financial regulations and keep proper records of all payments and reimbursements made under the arrangement.

The CATA is designed to support lecturers’ professional activities — covering research, academic publications, internet access, and teaching materials.

The payment of the allowance has been a recurring flashpoint in negotiations between the Federal Government and ASUU, alongside earned allowances, revitalisation funds, and salaries. Prolonged disputes over these issues have repeatedly triggered nationwide strikes, disrupting academic calendars and extending students’ time in school.

The latest disbursement comes under the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement, which was aimed at resolving lingering welfare issues and restoring industrial harmony in the tertiary education sector.

Education stakeholders have consistently argued that prompt payment of allowances is critical to staff morale, research output, and the overall quality of Nigeria’s public university system.

Recall that BusinessDay had earlier reported that the federal government ordered universities to pay lecturers’ allowances through their internally generated revenue (IGR), which many stakeholders expressed concerns that it might widen the financial gaps among public tertiary institutions in Nigeria.