Our Reporter
The Federal Government has explained how Nigerians are selected to benefit from its ₦50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), saying the programme is designed to reach poor and vulnerable households through existing national records rather than an open application process.
The clarification was issued by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, following growing questions from Nigerians about the selection process and how recipients are identified.
According to the ministry, beneficiaries are drawn from the National Social Register and verified national identity records before undergoing screening based on poverty and vulnerability considerations.
The government explained that the selection process covers all six geopolitical zones, with eligibility determined by the needs of households rather than their political, religious or ethnic backgrounds.
It stressed that there is no public application or registration exercise for the intervention and warned that no individual, agent or organisation has the authority to influence the selection of beneficiaries.
The ministry also clarified that the ₦50,000 support is a grant and not a loan, meaning recipients are not expected to repay the money.
Under the arrangement, selected beneficiaries will receive notifications through SMS messages sent by authorised digital financial service providers. Recipients are expected to follow the instructions in their messages and give their consent before the payment is processed.
The approved payment providers are ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo Payment Service Bank, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
The intervention is being implemented to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households facing difficulties arising from rising living costs, particularly the increasing prices of food and other essential items.
The government had earlier announced on October 30 that eligible recipients would receive ₦50,000 monthly through the programme, with payments delivered directly into their designated mobile wallets.
However, the ministry explained that payments are being processed in batches. Consequently, Nigerians who have not received notification should not automatically assume that they have been permanently excluded from the intervention.
The government also warned against fraudulent individuals claiming they could secure beneficiary status, speed up payments or facilitate registration in exchange for money.
It advised Nigerians not to disclose their personal identification numbers, one time passwords, bank verification numbers or other sensitive financial information to anyone claiming to represent the programme.
For enquiries and complaints concerning the intervention, the ministry provided the official NERSI contact number, 07000222222.
The government urged members of the public to rely on information from its official channels and authorised payment providers, warning that participation in the programme does not require payment of any registration or processing fee.
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