FG Begins N50,000 Monthly Relief Payments to Vulnerable Nigerians
The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of N50,000 monthly cash relief to vulnerable Nigerians under its National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the commencement of the programme in a statement issued on October 30.
Doro described the intervention as a presidential initiative aimed at providing immediate financial support to vulnerable Nigerians amid rising food prices and the increasing cost of essential goods.
He said eligible beneficiaries would receive N50,000 monthly to help meet their basic needs and ease the burden of the rising cost of living.
“Under this intervention, eligible beneficiaries will receive ₦50,000 monthly, providing direct assistance to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of living costs,” he said.
The minister added that the programme would be reviewed periodically in response to changes in the cost of living, with beneficiaries notified ahead of any adjustments.
According to him, the ministry is collaborating with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure and transparent delivery of the funds.
He explained that beneficiaries would receive text messages from the approved providers requesting their consent before payments are made directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
The approved providers and their USSD codes are ALAT by Wema (*945*23#), MoMo PSB (*671*0#), NairaGram (*726*00#), OPay (*955*20#) and Moniepoint (*557*327#).
Meanwhile, the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP), in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said payments under NERSI were ongoing, with beneficiaries receiving notifications through their registered phone numbers.
The programme urged individuals whose eligibility status showed “NOT SELECTED” to remain patient and await subsequent batches.
However, it did not guarantee that all those currently marked “NOT SELECTED” would eventually receive the payment.
Doro clarified that beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay any fees or register through agents to access the relief.
He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters, advising them not to disclose their personal identification numbers or Bank Verification Numbers to anyone.
“If you are unsure about any message, or anyone asks you for money, call the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222,” he said.
