The Federal Government has started paying N50,000 monthly to selected vulnerable Nigerians as part of efforts to reduce the financial pressure facing households across the country.
The payment is being made under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), a programme introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to provide financial assistance to people struggling with the rising cost of food and other basic necessities.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, confirmed the development in a statement issued on October 30, explaining that qualified beneficiaries would receive N50,000 every month.
According to the minister, the amount is intended to help recipients meet essential household expenses, while the programme will be reviewed periodically to reflect changes in the cost of living.
To ensure the money reaches the right people, the government has partnered with licensed digital financial service providers. Beneficiaries are expected to receive text messages requesting their consent before the funds are transferred directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
The approved payment platforms and their USSD codes are ALAT by Wema (94523#), MoMo PSB (6710#), NairaGram (72600#), OPay (95520#) and Moniepoint (557327#).
Meanwhile, the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP) has also informed Nigerians that payments under the intervention are currently in progress.
In a Facebook update on Tuesday, the programme explained that beneficiaries would be contacted through the phone numbers linked to their records. Those who have not received a notification but see “NOT SELECTED” when checking their status were advised to wait for another batch.
However, the programme did not confirm that everyone currently marked as not selected would eventually receive the financial support.
Doro also clarified that Nigerians do not need to submit fresh applications, pay registration charges or engage agents to access the intervention.
He cautioned the public against fraudsters who might attempt to exploit the payment exercise, particularly warning beneficiaries not to disclose their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs).
Anyone who receives a suspicious message or is asked to pay money before receiving the grant can contact the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 for verification.
