The Federal Government has released eight months’ arrears of the Consolidated Non-Academic Staff Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CONTA) owed to workers in federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, in a move aimed at addressing staff welfare concerns and preventing a disruption of academic activities across the country.
The payment, covering January to August 2026, was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, barely two days after the government commenced the payment of the Consolidated Academic Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CATA) to academic staff.
The twin payments form part of the government’s efforts to address welfare issues affecting academic and non-academic employees in the tertiary education sector and promote industrial harmony.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has welcomed the release, commending the Federal Government and Alausa for responding to its demands. The union described the development as an indication that constructive engagement between the government and university-based unions could produce tangible results when followed by prompt action.
In announcing the payment, Alausa said the release of the allowance demonstrated the administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare and recognised the essential contributions of non-academic personnel to the effective administration of tertiary institutions.
According to the minister, the welfare and motivation of both academic and non-academic staff remain critical to maintaining stable institutions and producing the skilled workforce required for national development.
He added that the government would continue to address legitimate welfare concerns, strengthen institutional capacity and minimise disruptions to teaching, learning and other academic activities nationwide.
FG reiterates commitment to workers’ welfare
Alausa maintained that a stable tertiary education system was essential to Nigeria’s socioeconomic development, noting that universities and other higher institutions play a central role in developing the country’s human capital.
He said the Ministry of Education would sustain consultations with relevant unions, heads of institutions and other stakeholders to resolve outstanding issues and improve working conditions across the sector.
The minister also appealed to academic and non-academic staff, university managements and union leaders to continue cooperating with the government as it implemented reforms aimed at improving institutional stability and learning outcomes.
He reiterated that the administration remained committed to meeting its obligations to tertiary institution workers and resolving outstanding welfare concerns in line with the human capital development objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The release of the eight months’ arrears came amid growing pressure from SSANU, which had threatened to embark on an indefinite strike if the government failed to meet its demands within 14 days.
SSANU had threatened indefinite strike
Before the payment was announced, SSANU had demanded the immediate release of funds and full settlement of outstanding CONTA arrears dating back to January 1, 2026.
The union made the demand in a communiqué issued after its 56th National Executive Council meeting held at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, over the weekend.
In the communiqué, SSANU warned that failure to meet its demands within 14 days would compel it to resume what it described as a “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action” without further notice.
Beyond the CONTA arrears, the union also demanded the payment of two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action and one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.
The union maintained that the outstanding payments constituted legitimate entitlements of its members and should not be subjected to further delays.
However, less than 48 hours after the union made its position public, the Federal Government announced the release of the eight months’ allowance arrears, easing immediate concerns about a possible shutdown of academic activities.
The swift development followed earlier engagement between the Minister of Education and SSANU leadership over the outstanding payments.
According to the union, Alausa had contacted its president, Mohammed Ibrahim, before the ultimatum was issued to explain that the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were processing the funds.
The subsequent release of the money was welcomed by the union as a response to its concerns over staff welfare and the implementation of agreements reached with the government.
SSANU urges members to verify payments
Confirming the release, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim said the development demonstrated that constructive engagement, when supported by timely action, could help protect workers’ welfare and preserve industrial harmony.
Ibrahim advised the association’s branches across the country to liaise with the managements of their respective institutions to ensure that the funds were paid promptly and accurately to eligible staff.
He also urged members to report any shortfall or irregularity identified during the payment process.
The union said the minister’s early engagement, followed by the release of the funds, represented a positive development in relations between the government and tertiary institution workers.
It urged the Federal Government to sustain the approach by ensuring that other negotiated entitlements were settled without unnecessary delays.
Nevertheless, SSANU stressed that the payment of the eight months’ CONTA arrears did not resolve all the issues contained in its ultimatum.
The union insisted that the government must still pay the two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial dispute, as well as the outstanding one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.
According to the association, those payments remain outstanding obligations that must be addressed to achieve a comprehensive resolution of the dispute.
Union calls for equitable implementation of agreements
Beyond the federal tertiary education system, SSANU’s National Executive Council called on state governments and governing councils of state-owned universities to ensure the full, equitable and properly funded implementation of relevant agreements.
The union warned that selective implementation or prolonged delays in meeting agreed obligations could generate dissatisfaction among workers and undermine industrial peace.
It maintained that staff welfare agreements should be implemented transparently and consistently to prevent disputes that could disrupt academic programmes and affect students.
While welcoming the Federal Government’s latest intervention, SSANU reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and industrial harmony.
However, it warned that it would continue to use all lawful and constitutional means available to protect the rights, welfare and professional advancement of its members where agreements were not faithfully implemented.
The association said the payment had strengthened confidence in dialogue as a means of resolving disputes between the government and university-based unions, while emphasising that sustained progress would depend on the settlement of all outstanding entitlements.
Implications for tertiary education
The release of the eight months’ CONTA arrears represents a significant development in the ongoing efforts to address staff welfare concerns in Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
By making the payment following SSANU’s ultimatum, the government has eased an immediate source of tension that threatened industrial relations across federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
The simultaneous processing of allowances for academic and non-academic staff also highlights the importance of addressing the welfare needs of both categories of employees in maintaining institutional stability.
Non-academic workers perform essential administrative, technical, library, laboratory and other support functions that enable tertiary institutions to operate effectively. Prolonged disputes over their entitlements can therefore affect institutional operations beyond the immediate concerns of union members.
However, the settlement of the CONTA arrears alone may not be sufficient to eliminate the possibility of future disputes, given SSANU’s insistence that other outstanding payments remain unresolved.
The union’s position indicates that further engagement will be necessary to address the withheld salaries and arrears arising from the salary increases.
For the Federal Government, the challenge will be to sustain communication with the unions, honour outstanding obligations and establish a more predictable process for implementing negotiated agreements.
For SSANU, the priority will be to ensure that the released funds reach eligible members while continuing to press for the settlement of the remaining claims.
Although the latest payment has reduced the immediate risk of industrial action over the CONTA arrears, the long-term stability of the tertiary education system will depend on how effectively the government and the unions resolve the issues that remain outstanding.
