The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the release of eight months of Consolidated Non-Academic Staff Tertiary Institutions Allowance for non-academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. This development was made known by the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Boriowo Folasade. The payment covers January to August 2026.
According to Minister Alausa, the release of CONTA reflects the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to improving workers' welfare, strengthening industrial harmony and creating an enabling environment for the effective delivery of quality education. The minister stated that the government recognised the welfare, motivation and commitment of both academic and non-academic personnel as essential to the stability and effective functioning of tertiary institutions.
The payment of CONTA comes shortly after the commencement of the Consolidated Academic Tertiary Institutions Allowance to academic staff. This move demonstrates the Federal Government's effort to fulfil its allowance obligations to personnel across the federal tertiary education system. Alausa said the payments reaffirmed the administration's commitment to strengthening institutions responsible for producing the skilled workforce required to drive Nigeria's socio-economic development.
The Minister of Education assured stakeholders that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue to engage relevant unions, institutional authorities and other stakeholders in addressing outstanding issues affecting the sector. He said the engagement was necessary to promote mutual understanding and foster a stable, productive and globally competitive tertiary education system.
Minister Alausa commended academic and non-academic staff, heads of institutions, unions and other stakeholders for their patience, understanding and continued cooperation with the Federal Government. He said the ministry would sustain the implementation of policies and initiatives that prioritise staff welfare, institutional stability, human capital development and improved learning outcomes.
The release of CONTA is part of the Federal Government's sustained efforts to address legitimate welfare concerns, promote industrial harmony and minimise disruptions to academic activities across the nation's tertiary education system. Staff welfare, allowances and the implementation of agreements between the Federal Government and tertiary education unions have remained recurring issues in Nigeria's education sector.
The Federal Government's release of the eight-month CONTA to non-academic personnel comes as a significant component of its current efforts to address welfare obligations across federal tertiary institutions. The latest payment follows the commencement of CATA to academic staff, bringing both categories of personnel into the government's latest allowance disbursement covering the first eight months of 2026.
Key points
- The Federal Government has released eight months of Consolidated Non-Academic Staff Tertiary Institutions Allowance for non-academic staff in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
- The payment aims to address workers' welfare concerns and strengthen industrial harmony in the tertiary education system.
- The government has also commenced payment of Consolidated Academic Tertiary Institutions Allowance to academic staff.
