FG Starts begins implementation of key welfare components

The federal government has begun implementing major welfare provisions contained in its renegotiated agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), including a 40 percent increase in allowances for academic staff in public universities.

The revised agreement, signed on January 14, was reached after extensive negotiations between ASUU leadership and a government committee and is aimed at preventing recurrent industrial actions in Nigeria’s university system.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, confirmed that the government had approved the 40 percent increase in the Consolidated Academic Allowance (CAA), effective from January 1, 2026. He disclosed that some federal universities have already reflected the new allowance structure in their salary payments, while efforts are ongoing to ensure uniform implementation nationwide.

Alausa said all vice-chancellors of federal universities have been formally instructed to implement the allowance increase fully and integrate it into their payroll systems to ensure that all eligible lecturers benefit.

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The minister also directed vice-chancellors to adhere strictly to the approved framework for the payment of the Consolidated Tools Allowance (CATA), urging prudent management of institutional resources to enable timely disbursement.

According to him, the CATA has already been approved and communicated through a circular issued by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and its inclusion in the 2026 budget followed due statutory procedures.

Alausa noted that the implementation of both the CAA increase and CATA payments would enhance staff motivation, strengthen the academic environment, and improve teaching, research, and learning outcomes across Nigerian universities.

He reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to honoring agreements with education sector stakeholders and pledged continued dialogue, transparency, industrial harmony, and sustained efforts to improve the quality of education in the country.