The Federal Government has released eight months of the Consolidated Non-Academic Staff Tertiary Institutions Allowance, CONTA, to non-academic staff of federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across Nigeria.
The allowance covers the period from January to August 2026, with the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announcing the release on Wednesday. 
The payment comes days after the Federal Government commenced the release of the corresponding Consolidated Academic Tertiary Institutions Allowance, CATA, to academic staff.
For thousands of non-academic workers, the development is expected to provide some relief amid longstanding concerns over staff welfare and the need to maintain industrial peace across the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Alausa said the release of CONTA reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare, strengthening industrial harmony and creating an enabling environment for quality education delivery under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Minister stressed that both academic and non-academic personnel play critical roles in keeping tertiary institutions functional and ensuring that students can learn in a stable environment.
He said addressing legitimate welfare concerns would also help minimise disruptions to academic activities and strengthen the institutions responsible for producing the skilled workforce needed for Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
Alausa assured university, polytechnic and college of education staff that the Federal Ministry of Education would continue consultations with relevant unions, institutional authorities and other stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues.
He appealed for continued patience and cooperation from academic and non-academic staff, unions and heads of institutions as the government implements further measures to improve the tertiary education system.
The Minister reaffirmed that staff welfare, institutional stability, human capital development and improved learning outcomes would remain priorities of the ministry.
The release of CONTA follows the Federal Government’s earlier release of the eight-month CATA payment to academic staff, bringing both categories of tertiary institution personnel within the latest round of welfare payments.
