The Federal Government has directed approved payment providers to contact beneficiaries of its ₦50,000 relief grant in batches as disbursement continues under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction said beneficiaries would receive text messages from authorised digital financial service providers, asking them to give consent before the money is credited to their accounts or mobile wallets.
Notifications may not reach all beneficiaries at the same time. The government says payments are being processed in phases, with providers contacting beneficiaries in batches.
However, this does not mean every Nigerian with a bank or mobile money account will receive the grant. Beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records, based on poverty and vulnerability criteria.
The five approved payment providers are ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB), NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint. Their USSD services allow beneficiaries to follow instructions and give consent without using a smartphone or internet connection.
The ₦50,000 support is a grant, not a loan, and the government says the full amount will be credited without deductions. No public application or registration process has been announced.
What to do
There is no application form to complete for the NERSI payment. The government says beneficiaries are selected through existing records and cannot pay or use an agent to secure inclusion. Those who receive an official message should follow the instructions from their designated provider to accept the payment.
They should not share their Personal Identification Number (PIN), One-Time Password (OTP) or Bank Verification Number (BVN), or pay anyone to release the money. For enquiries, call the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.