Relief As FG Pays Five-Month Allowance Arrears For Lecturers

The Federal Government has released funds to cover five months of outstanding Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance owed to lecturers in federal universities.

University authorities have also been directed to begin immediate payment to all eligible academic staff without delay.

Naija News reports that the directive was issued by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in a letter dated June 4, 2026, addressed to vice-chancellors of federal universities.

The directive is part of the ongoing implementation of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

According to the directive, the released funds are meant to settle the backlog of the allowance in line with the agreement reached with the university lecturers’ union. Vice-chancellors were asked to ensure that the money gets to the affected staff quickly.

The minister also instructed that universities which may have used internal funds or other sources such as internally generated revenue to cover the allowance from January 2026 should be refunded once federal allocations are received.

He directed that such refunds should be properly recorded in the appropriate accounts and budget categories.

University managements were further told to follow financial rules strictly and keep clear records of all payments and reimbursements linked to the allowance. They were also urged to treat the payment process as urgent and give it full attention.

The allowance is meant to support academic work in areas such as research, teaching materials, internet access, publications, and other tools needed for university duties.