₦50,000 NERSI Grant: Federal Government Releases Payment Guidelines For Beneficiaries

The Federal Government has released detailed guidelines explaining how Nigerians selected for its ₦50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) can receive and access the financial assistance.

The programme, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, is designed to support poor and vulnerable households facing economic hardship by providing direct financial assistance through digital wallets.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the government is working with approved financial service providers, including ALAT by Wema, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint, to facilitate the disbursement.

The government explained that the digital payment arrangement is intended to make the process faster, more transparent and easier to monitor, while independent verification checks will be conducted during payment cycles.

Under the guidelines, selected beneficiaries are expected to follow four major steps to receive their grants.

First, eligible individuals will receive an official SMS notification from one of the approved payment providers informing them of their selection for the intervention.

After receiving the message, beneficiaries must give their consent by replying YES to confirm their willingness to participate. The government stressed that the funds will not be released to anyone who fails to provide the required confirmation.

Once consent has been established, a mobile wallet will be created and linked to the beneficiary’s registered phone number and National Identification Number (NIN).

The approved ₦50,000 grant will subsequently be credited to the wallet, allowing recipients to withdraw the money through Point of Sale (POS) operators and bank outlets or spend it directly using their mobile wallets.

Beneficiaries will also receive instructions from their respective payment providers on how to access the funds. The designated USSD channels include *945*23# for ALAT by Wema Bank, *6710# for MoMo PSB, *72600# for NairaGram, and *955*20# for OPay, while Moniepoint beneficiaries can dial *557*327# or use the company’s mobile application.

The Federal Government further explained that beneficiaries are selected using information contained in the National Social Register and verified national identity records. These databases are used to identify households that meet the programme’s poverty and vulnerability requirements.

It emphasised that Nigerians cannot independently apply to be included in the beneficiary list, adding that the disbursement would be conducted in batches. Consequently, some eligible households may not receive the payment during the initial phase.

The government also warned that nobody is authorised to collect money from applicants or beneficiaries in exchange for inclusion in the programme.

As part of efforts to prevent fraud, Nigerians have been advised to verify all messages relating to the intervention and ensure that notifications originate from the approved payment providers.

Genuine messages will only require beneficiaries to reply YES or follow the official instructions provided by their payment companies. They will not demand processing fees, request banking PINs or One-Time Passwords (OTPs), or direct recipients to suspicious websites.

Beneficiaries have therefore been cautioned against disclosing their banking details, passwords, PINs or OTPs to individuals claiming to represent the government or payment providers.

Anyone who receives a suspicious message has been advised to disregard it and contact the programme’s designated helpline for clarification.

The Federal Government also clarified that NERSI is a grant and not a loan, meaning beneficiaries are not expected to repay the ₦50,000 assistance. Each selected household is entitled to receive the full amount without deductions.

Regarding the source of beneficiaries’ contact details, the government explained that relevant information, including registered phone numbers, is obtained from the National Social Register and verified national identity records and shared with the appropriate payment providers to facilitate disbursement.

It further assured Nigerians that beneficiaries’ personal information would be used only for purposes connected with the intervention.