The Federal Government has published guidelines explaining how Nigerians selected for its N50,000 relief grant can verify their eligibility, accept the offer, receive payment and access the funds.
The government also warned beneficiaries to be wary of fraudsters who may attempt to exploit the intervention by demanding money or personal banking details.
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilization Intervention (NERSI) is a Federal Government programme designed to help households manage rising living costs. It is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, with payments made through mobile wallets operated by five approved providers.
Information published in the programme’s frequently asked questions section states that the N50,000 support is a grant, not a loan, and beneficiaries are not required to repay it. Recipients also do not need a smartphone or internet connection to access the money.
The government has outlined how beneficiaries were identified, how they will receive notifications, the steps required to claim the grant and the procedures for withdrawing funds.
Here is what Nigerians need to know about the intervention.
1. What is NERSI and how much will beneficiaries receive?
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilization Intervention is a Federal Government initiative intended to provide financial support to households facing increased living costs.
Under the programme, each selected beneficiary is entitled to N50,000, which will be paid into a mobile wallet through an approved payment provider.
The government said the full amount would be credited without deductions. It also clarified that the money is a grant and recipients will not be required to pay it back.
2. Who qualifies for the grant and how are beneficiaries selected?
The government said beneficiaries were drawn from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
Unlike conventional grant schemes, individuals cannot submit applications to join the programme. The government also said no person or organization has the authority to add anyone to the beneficiaries’ list.
Selection is based on need, with beneficiaries drawn from all six geopolitical zones. The programme is not restricted by state of residence, religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
Payments are being released in phases, so selected individuals may receive notifications at different times.
3. Why was I selected, and how did the government obtain my phone number?
According to the programme, beneficiaries were identified using information contained in the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
Their phone numbers were also obtained from the records used during the selection process.
The government said personal information would only be shared with the payment provider assigned to each beneficiary for the purpose of processing the grant.
It added that beneficiaries’ data would be protected under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The programme stressed that officials would not ask recipients to disclose sensitive banking information, including their personal identification numbers (PINs), one-time passwords (OTPs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs).
4. How will selected beneficiaries receive notification?
People selected for the grant will be contacted through text messages sent by one of the five approved payment providers:
- ALAT
- MoMo PSB
- NairaGram
- OPay
- Moniepoint
The notification will confirm the beneficiary’s selection and provide a USSD code to dial to accept the offer.
Recipients can also use their assigned provider’s USSD service to check their eligibility by selecting the relevant option.
The government advised beneficiaries to trust only messages sent through the official sender names of the approved providers.
5. How can beneficiaries accept the N50,000 grant?
Anyone who receives a notification must dial the USSD code provided in the message and follow the instructions.
The process will create a mobile wallet for the beneficiary, after which the N50,000 will be credited. A confirmation message will then be sent.
The government emphasized that receiving a selection notification does not automatically trigger payment. Beneficiaries must accept the offer before the money can be released.
Recipients were encouraged to complete the process promptly after receiving the message. Payment providers may also send reminders.
Anyone who mistakenly rejects the offer can dial the code again and select the option to accept. However, choosing the rejection option means payment will not be made unless the decision is subsequently changed.
6. Can people without smartphones or internet access receive the grant?
Yes. A basic mobile phone is sufficient to access the N50,000 support.
The approved providers’ USSD services work without an internet connection, meaning beneficiaries do not need smartphones or mobile data to accept the offer or carry out basic transactions.
Customers of MoMo PSB, OPay and Moniepoint can also use their providers’ official mobile applications to manage their wallets and transfer funds.
7. How can beneficiaries withdraw the N50,000?
Beneficiaries can withdraw their money through Point of Sale (POS) agents by transferring funds from their mobile wallets and collecting the equivalent cash.
Each payment provider also offers specific USSD options and other channels for withdrawals and transfers.
The available options include:
- ALAT: Beneficiaries can dial
94523Account NumberAmount#to transfer money to a POS agent’s account or their personal bank accounts. They can also visit a Wema Bank branch. - MoMo PSB: Customers can visit MoMo agents or POS operators, dial
6710#or use the MoMo NG application to transfer funds. - NairaGram: Recipients can dial
72600#and follow the instructions to transfer money to a POS agent or bank account. - OPay: Beneficiaries can use
95520#or the OPay application. - Moniepoint: Recipients can dial
557327#or use the Moniepoint application.
The government said beneficiaries do not have to withdraw the entire amount at once. They can take out all the money or withdraw only part of it, leaving the balance in their wallets.
Funds can also be transferred to personal bank accounts or the accounts of other people through the providers’ approved USSD services and applications.
8. Are there charges for receiving or withdrawing the grant?
Accepting the offer, receiving the N50,000 and responding to programme text messages are free.
The government warned that nobody should demand payment to secure a place on the beneficiaries’ list or release the grant.
However, POS operators may charge their standard withdrawal fees when beneficiaries collect cash. Recipients were advised to ask about the charges before completing a transaction.
9. What should I do if I have not received a notification?
The government said the absence of a text message does not necessarily mean an individual has been permanently excluded from the intervention.
Payments are being processed in batches, and selected beneficiaries will be contacted in phases.
However, the programme is designed to support a limited number of households at a time, meaning not everyone will be included in the current payment round.
People who want to check their status can dial their payment provider’s USSD code and select the eligibility-check option.
Those who have not been selected will receive a notification stating that they are currently not eligible for the relief support.
The government warned that nobody can add names to the list or accelerate payment in exchange for money. Anyone making such an offer should be treated as a fraudster.
10. How can beneficiaries avoid scams?
The government has urged recipients to remain alert to people claiming they can help them obtain or release the N50,000 grant for a fee.
It said neither programme officials nor payment providers would request beneficiaries’ PINs, OTPs or BVNs.
Genuine notifications will come only from the official sender names of ALAT/Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint. The government also said legitimate programme messages would not contain links.
Beneficiaries were advised to:
- Avoid clicking unfamiliar links or downloading applications from unknown sources.
- Ignore WhatsApp messages claiming that forwarding them will guarantee access to the grant.
- Never pay anyone who promises to secure a place on the beneficiaries’ list or speed up payment.
- Refuse requests to disclose PINs, OTPs or BVNs.
- Contact their payment provider directly if they receive suspicious calls or messages.
The government also warned against requests to refund money supposedly paid into a wallet by mistake. Recipients should not transfer funds to anyone making such a claim without first confirming the matter through their provider’s official customer service channel.
11. What happens if a beneficiary loses a phone or SIM card?
Anyone who loses a phone or SIM card linked to the grant should contact their payment provider immediately to secure the mobile wallet.
The beneficiary should then approach their telecommunications operator to obtain a replacement SIM card with the same phone number.
The government said the money would remain in the mobile wallet even if the phone or SIM card was lost.
Recipients were also warned not to hand over their phones, PINs or OTPs to other people, including relatives, when seeking assistance.
12. What should beneficiaries do if their USSD codes stop working?
If a USSD code fails to work, beneficiaries should first check their network signal and try again.
If the problem continues, they should contact their payment provider through its official customer service channels.
The government also advised recipients to contact their providers immediately if they lose their phones, receive suspicious calls or need help securing their wallets.
The published customer service contacts are:
- ALAT by Wema: 0803 900 3700
- MoMo PSB: 671 or 0803 106 7100
- NairaGram: 0201 330 0880 or 0201 330 0881
- OPay: 0700 888 8328 or 0201 888 8328
- NERSI programme helpline: 0700-022-2222
Enquiries about mobile wallets and payment transactions should be directed to the relevant payment provider, while questions about the intervention itself can be sent to the NERSI helpline.
13. Which organisations are authorised to pay the grant?
The Federal Government approved five payment providers to handle the distribution of the N50,000 support.
They are:
- ALAT: The digital banking platform of Wema Bank.
- MoMo PSB: A licensed Payment Service Bank.
- NairaGram: A digital money transfer service.
- OPay: A licensed mobile money operator.
- Moniepoint: A licensed microfinance bank.
Beneficiaries were advised to use only their assigned providers when accessing the grant, making transfers or seeking assistance.
The government reiterated that recipients do not need to click links or install unfamiliar applications to claim the money. The official USSD codes provided by the payment companies are sufficient for beneficiaries to access the service.
