A popular X user, Ayekooto, has drawn attention online after crediting the Tinubu administration with doing more for Nigeria’s education sector than any government he has seen in his 14 years in public tertiary institutions.

He did so while stating that he is not a supporter of the president or his administration. The post, which credits Abubakar Ahmad and carries lists of beneficiary polytechnics and universities, points to the clearing of CATA arrears for academic staff, ongoing payment of CONTA arrears and the disbursement of ₦38.93 billion to 166 public tertiary institutions.

The funding claim checks out. The Federal Ministry of Finance confirmed in a statement on Sunday, signed by its Head of Media, Efe Ovuakporie, that ₦38.93 billion had been released under the Needs Assessment Revitalisation Fund.

The money covers 79 universities, 46 polytechnics and 41 colleges of education. Universities take ₦28.5 billion, polytechnics ₦5.8 billion and colleges of education ₦4.7 billion.

The ministry said the intervention is meant to help institutions start or continue approved projects that address critical infrastructure gaps, and that it supports the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The full breakdown of beneficiaries is available on the ministry’s website.

On staff welfare, the Federal Government earlier released funds for the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) after the signing of the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement in January 2026, starting with five months of arrears in June and later announcing full payment for January to August. Education Minister Tunji Alausa has since said arrears were settled up to September. The government also released eight months of Consolidated Non-Academic Staff Tertiary Institutions Allowance (CONTA) arrears to non-academic staff, a move that came as unions threatened fresh industrial action.

The picture is not without complaints. ASUU has criticised what it calls the slow and uneven implementation of the renegotiated agreement. The union has pointed to Earned Academic Allowance arrears that had stretched to 18 months as of May, and it asked government to clarify who counts as an “eligible” lecturer for CATA payments.

The Needs Assessment fund itself is a long-running sore point. Government has said it released ₦50 billion in January out of a promised ₦200 billion, and the union has for years demanded fuller funding of the scheme that dates back to the 2009 agreement.