By Ere-ebi Agedah Imisi
The Federal Government has clarified the procedures for accessing its ₦50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, NERSI, warning Nigerians against fraudulent individuals and agents claiming to facilitate beneficiary selection or payment.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction explained that the intervention was designed to provide relief to vulnerable households affected by rising living costs, stressing that beneficiaries would be selected based on established poverty and vulnerability criteria.
This was contained in a statement signed by Kingsley O. Onuoha on behalf of the Director of Information and Public Relations, in which the Ministry addressed frequently asked questions about the intervention to promote public awareness and prevent misinformation.
The Ministry noted that beneficiaries would be drawn from the National Social Register and verified national identity records, with selection covering all six geopolitical zones of the country.
It clarified that there was no application or registration process for the grant, adding that neither government officials, agents nor other individuals could influence the selection of beneficiaries.
According to the Ministry, each selected beneficiary would receive ₦50,000 as a Federal Government grant, with the full amount credited without deductions. It explained that the support was not a loan and would not require repayment.
The Ministry further said that beneficiaries would be notified of their selection through SMS messages sent by authorised digital financial service providers, with instructions on how to accept and access the support.
It explained that recipients could access the grant by following the instructions contained in their notification, which might require replying YES or dialling the designated USSD code of their payment provider.
The approved platforms include ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint, with their respective access codes being 94523#, 6710#, 72600#, 95520# and 557327#.
The Ministry noted that upon successful consent, the grant would be credited directly into beneficiaries’ mobile wallets, adding that the USSD services could be accessed without smartphones or internet connectivity.
It also warned that beneficiaries were not required to pay any fee, register through an agent or click on any link to receive the support.
The Ministry cautioned Nigerians against disclosing their Personal Identification Numbers, One-Time Passwords or Bank Verification Numbers to anyone, noting that individuals demanding money in exchange for the grant were attempting to commit fraud.
It clarified that genuine notifications would only come from the authorised payment providers, while beneficiaries with enquiries or complaints could contact the official NERSI helpline.
The Ministry however reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the intervention was implemented transparently, accountably and with dignity, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
