The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of ₦50,000 monthly cash assistance to vulnerable Nigerians under its National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), aimed at easing the impact of rising living costs on households.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the development in a statement issued on October 30, describing the programme as a presidential initiative to provide direct financial support to Nigerians facing economic hardship.
Doro explained that the intervention was designed to help low-income households cope with increasing food prices and the rising cost of essential goods.
Under the programme, eligible beneficiaries will receive ₦50,000 monthly to support their basic needs and reduce the financial pressure associated with the current cost of living.
The minister added that the intervention would be reviewed periodically to reflect changes in economic conditions, with beneficiaries expected to receive prior notification of any adjustments to the payment structure.
He said the ministry had partnered with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure that the disbursement process remained secure, transparent and accessible.
According to Doro, selected beneficiaries would receive text messages from the approved payment providers requesting their consent before funds are transferred directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
He emphasised that the messages were genuine and that beneficiaries would receive their payments after completing the consent process.
The approved payment providers and their respective USSD codes are ALAT by Wema (*945*23#), MoMo PSB (*671*0#), NairaGram (*726*00#), OPay (*955*20#) and Moniepoint (*557*327#).
Meanwhile, the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP) has confirmed that payments under NERSI are ongoing, with selected beneficiaries receiving notifications through their registered phone numbers.
In a Facebook update on Tuesday, the programme advised applicants who had not received text messages but whose eligibility status displayed “NOT SELECTED” to remain patient and await subsequent batches.
However, the programme did not guarantee that everyone with the status would eventually be selected for payment.
The humanitarian affairs minister stressed that beneficiaries were not required to submit fresh applications, pay processing fees or register through agents to access the intervention.
He also warned Nigerians to be cautious of fraudulent individuals seeking to exploit the programme, advising beneficiaries against disclosing their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) or other sensitive banking information.
The Federal Government said the initiative would provide immediate financial assistance to eligible households as part of broader efforts to address poverty and the economic pressures facing vulnerable Nigerians.
