The Federal Government has officially commenced the disbursement of the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), a presidential initiative designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households across the country.

Led by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, the programme aims to cushion the impact of rising living costs by offering eligible beneficiaries a ₦50,000 monthly cash support to help meet essential needs. 

Key Details of the Programme

• Financial Support: Eligible citizens will receive ₦50,000 every month, with regular reviews scheduled for the initiative.

• No Application Needed: The government emphasized that no registration, application, or fee through agents is required.

• Secure Disbursements: The Ministry is collaborating with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure transparent and safe transfers. Before any payment is made directly into an account or mobile wallet, recipients will receive a consent SMS.

How to Check Eligibility

Beneficiaries can verify their eligibility securely using official channels provided by participating financial service providers. OPay and other partner institutions have outlined specific ways for customers to check their status:

• OPay: Eligible customers will see a pop-up notification directly on their OPay app homepage. Alternatively, users can dial the USSD code *955*20#.

• Other Approved Providers & USSD Codes:

  • ALAT by Wema: *945*23#

  • MoMo PSB: *671*0#

  • NairaGram: *726*00#

  • Moniepoint: *557*327#

Note: Financial institutions have clarified that they do not determine beneficiary eligibility. Customers who cannot view the notification or access the feature via USSD are currently not eligible for the intervention.

Important Safety and Fraud Warnings

With public interest growing around the relief scheme, authorities and financial platforms have issued strong warnings against scammers attempting to exploit the initiative.

• Protect Your Credentials: Legitimate institutions will never ask for your Personal Identification Number (PIN), One-Time Password (OTP), or Bank Verification Number (BVN) to process NERSI payments.

• Avoid Scams: Do not pay any self-proclaimed agents or click on unverified links sent via text or social media.

• Official Helplines: If you encounter suspicious messages or need assistance, contact the official NERSI helpline at 0700-022-2222, or reach out to OPay customer support directly through their official mobile application.