The Nigerian Government has released detailed guidelines explaining how Nigerians selected for its N50,000 relief grant can confirm their eligibility, accept the offer, access the money and withdraw their funds.
The government also warned beneficiaries against fraudsters seeking to exploit the programme by demanding money or personal banking details.
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) is a government programme designed to help households cope with rising living costs.
Managed by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the scheme provides N50,000 to selected beneficiaries through mobile wallets operated by five approved payment providers.
According to frequently asked questions published on the programme’s website and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the grant is not a loan and does not require repayment.
The government also explained that beneficiaries do not need smartphones or internet access to receive the money.
The guidelines covered beneficiary selection, eligibility checks, payment notifications, withdrawals, charges and steps to take when problems arise.
Here are 13 important things Nigerians should know about the N50,000 relief grant.
1. What is NERSI and how much will beneficiaries receive?
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention is a government programme designed to help households cope with rising living costs.
Under the scheme, selected beneficiaries receive N50,000 each through a mobile wallet.
The government said the full amount would be credited to beneficiaries without deductions.
Asked how much recipients would receive, the programme’s website stated, “₦50,000. The full amount goes into your wallet. Nothing is deducted.”
It also clarified that the money was a grant, not a loan, meaning beneficiaries would not be required to repay it.
“No. It is a grant from the Federal Government. You do not pay it back,” the FAQ stated.
2. Who is eligible and how are beneficiaries selected?
The government said beneficiaries were selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
It explained that individuals could not apply for the grant or arrange to be included on the list.
“You cannot apply, and no one can add you to the list,” the programme stated.
According to the government, beneficiaries were selected based on need and spread across the six geopolitical zones, regardless of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
The FAQ stated, “Beneficiaries are spread across all six geopolitical zones and are selected on need alone, whatever their religion, ethnic group or political affiliation.”
However, payments will be made in phases, meaning not everyone will receive a notification at the same time.
3. Why was I selected and how did the government get my phone number?
The programme said beneficiaries were identified through information in the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
Their phone numbers were also obtained from the same records used during the selection process.
According to the FAQ, beneficiaries’ details would only be shared with their respective payment providers to enable them to receive the grant.
“Your details are shared only with your payment provider, and only so they can pay you,” the website stated.
The government also assured recipients that their personal information would be protected under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
It stressed that programme officials would never request sensitive banking details such as personal identification numbers (PINs), one-time passwords (OTPs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs).
4. How will beneficiaries know they have been selected?
Selected beneficiaries will receive text messages from one of the five approved payment providers: ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
The messages will inform recipients of their selection and provide a USSD code to dial to accept the grant.
The programme provided an example of a notification:
“Relief! FGN has selected you to receive ₦50,000 under NERSI to help with living costs. This is FREE. Enq? Call 07000222222. Dial 94523# to accept.”
Beneficiaries can also dial their payment provider’s USSD code and select the option to check their eligibility.
The government said genuine notifications would come only from the official sender names of the approved payment providers.
5. How can beneficiaries accept the N50,000 grant?
Recipients are required to dial the USSD code contained in the notification from their payment provider and follow the instructions.
The process will open a mobile wallet for the beneficiary. The N50,000 grant will then be credited to the wallet, followed by a confirmation text message.
The government stressed that beneficiaries would not receive the money until they accepted the offer.
“Nothing is paid until you accept,” the FAQ stated.
It advised selected recipients to accept the offer as soon as possible after receiving the notification. Payment providers may also send reminders.
Those who mistakenly select the option to reject the offer can dial the code again and choose Yes if they change their minds.
However, selecting No will be recorded as a rejection, and the beneficiary will not receive the payment unless the decision is changed.
6. Can people without smartphones or internet access receive the money?
Yes. The government said beneficiaries do not need smartphones or internet access to receive the grant.
A basic mobile phone is sufficient because the USSD codes provided by the payment providers work without an internet connection.
The FAQ stated, “No. A basic phone is enough. The codes work without the internet.”
However, customers of MoMo PSB, OPay and Moniepoint can also use their providers’ official mobile applications to access their wallets and carry out transactions.
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 to the agents and collecting cash.
Each payment provider also offers other withdrawal and transfer options.
The government listed the following methods:
ALAT: Beneficiaries can dial 94523Account NumberAmount# to transfer money to a POS agent’s account or their personal bank accounts. They can also visit any Wema Bank branch.
MoMo PSB: Customers can visit its agents or POS operators, dial 6710# or use the MoMo NG application to transfer funds.
NairaGram: Beneficiaries can dial 72600# and follow the instructions to transfer money to a POS agent or bank account.
OPay: Customers can use 95520# or the OPay application.
Moniepoint: Beneficiaries can dial 557327# or use the Moniepoint application.
The government added that recipients could withdraw the entire amount or take only part of it, leaving the remaining balance in their wallets.
“Yes. You can withdraw all or part of it. The rest stays safely in your wallet,” the FAQ stated.
Beneficiaries can also transfer the money to their own bank accounts or another person’s account through their providers’ USSD codes or applications.
8. Are there charges for receiving or withdrawing the grant?
The government said accepting the grant, receiving the money and responding to programme text messages were free.
It warned beneficiaries against paying anyone to access the intervention or secure a place on the list.
However, POS operators may charge their usual fees when beneficiaries withdraw cash through them.
The FAQ stated, “When you cash out at a POS agent, the agent may charge their usual withdrawal fee, as with any withdrawal. Ask for the fee before you withdraw.”
Beneficiaries were advised to confirm the applicable charges before completing withdrawals.
9. What should beneficiaries do if they have not received an SMS?
The government said beneficiaries who had not received text messages should not automatically conclude that they had been excluded.
It explained that payments were being made in phases, with providers contacting selected recipients in batches.
However, not everyone would be selected in the current phase because the programme was designed to support a limited number of households at a time.
Those who want to confirm their status can dial their provider’s USSD code and select the eligibility-check option.
People who are not on the list will receive a notification stating, “You are currently not selected to receive this relief support.”
The government warned that nobody could add an individual to the list or speed up payment in exchange for money.
“No one can add you to the list or speed up your payment. Anyone who offers to do so for a fee is a fraudster,” the FAQ stated.
10. How can beneficiaries identify and avoid fraud?
The government warned beneficiaries against individuals claiming they could help them secure or release the N50,000 grant in exchange for payment.
It stressed that no programme official, payment provider or agent would request recipients’ PINs, OTPs or BVNs.
The FAQ stated that genuine messages would come only from the official sender names of ALAT/Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
It also said genuine messages would never contain links.
The government cautioned recipients against clicking unfamiliar links, downloading unknown applications or forwarding WhatsApp messages claiming that sharing them would guarantee access to the grant.
“Chain messages are fake. Forwarding a message does not make anyone a beneficiary. Delete it,” the programme stated.
It further warned beneficiaries against sending money to anyone who contacts them claiming that the payment was made in error and should be refunded.
“Do not send money to anyone. This is a common trick. Call your provider’s official help line to check,” the FAQ stated.
Beneficiaries who receive suspicious calls requesting their personal details were advised to end the calls and contact their payment providers directly.
11. What happens if a beneficiary loses their phone or SIM card?
The government advised beneficiaries who lose their phones or SIM cards to contact their payment providers immediately to protect their mobile wallets.
They should then obtain replacement SIM cards bearing the same phone numbers from their network operators.
According to the programme, the money would remain in the mobile wallet even if the beneficiary lost their phone or SIM card.
“Your money stays in your wallet,” the FAQ stated.
The government also advised beneficiaries not to hand over their phones, PINs or OTPs to anyone, even when seeking assistance from trusted relatives.
12. What should beneficiaries do if their USSD codes stop working?
The programme advised beneficiaries to check their network signals and try again if their providers’ USSD codes failed to work.
If the problem persisted, they should contact their payment providers through their official customer service channels.
It also urged beneficiaries to contact their providers if they received suspicious calls, lost their phones or needed help protecting their wallets.
The government published the following helplines:
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
The government said enquiries about mobile wallets and payments should be directed to the respective providers, while questions about the intervention should be addressed to the programme’s helpline.
13. Which organisations are approved to pay beneficiaries?
The government identified five payment providers authorised to disburse the N50,000 grant.
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.
The programme advised beneficiaries to deal only with their assigned providers and use official channels when making enquiries or carrying out transactions.
It also warned against downloading unfamiliar applications, explaining that beneficiaries did not need to follow links or install unknown software to claim the grant.
The government said the USSD codes provided by the payment providers were sufficient to access the funds.