The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of N50,000 relief payments to vulnerable Nigerians across the country under a new emergency-relief program, as part of efforts to cushion the effects of the high cost of living and provide immediate support to households in need.
The initiative, known as the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), is a presidential program intended to provide short-term financial support to millions of low-income Nigerians.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction Bernard Doro announced the start of payments on October 30.
Eligible beneficiaries will receive N50,000 each month, paid directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
Doro said the transfers are designed to help households meet basic needs and offset living-cost pressures driven by higher food and commodity prices.
The government said it would review the payment level periodically in response to changes in the cost of living and would notify beneficiaries before any adjustment.
It did not disclose how long the program will run, the total number of recipients or a complete payment timetable.
The ministry is working with licensed digital financial-service providers to deliver the funds.
Beneficiaries will receive a text message from an approved provider seeking consent before payment is transferred to their account or mobile wallet.
The approved providers and their USSD codes are ALAT by Wema (94523#), MoMo PSB (6710#), NairaGram (72600#), OPay (95520#) and Moniepoint (557327#).
Officials said beneficiaries do not need to apply, pay a fee or register through an agent.
The government warned Nigerians not to share their personal identification numbers (PINs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) with anyone claiming to facilitate access to the relief.
“If you are unsure about any message, or anyone asks you for money, call the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222,” Doro said.
Separately, the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP) said in a Facebook post that NERSI payments were ongoing and that notifications were being sent to registered phone numbers.
It advised people whose status read “NOT SELECTED” to wait for a later batch, though it did not guarantee eventual inclusion.
