Some Nigerians following the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief programme have raised concerns about receiving payment-related notifications only to encounter messages indicating that they are not eligible.
The development has created uncertainty over whether a notification guarantees selection and what beneficiaries should do when their payment provider displays conflicting information.
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) is administered by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction.
The programme uses authorised digital financial service providers to notify selected Nigerians, obtain their consent and credit their mobile wallets.
However, questions about disputed eligibility and payment access have attracted attention from civil society organisations.
What does the official NERSI FAQ say about eligibility?
According to the official programme website, beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
The ministry says the selection process is based on poverty and vulnerability criteria.
It also states that selected beneficiaries receive SMS notifications from their designated payment providers.
The five authorised providers are ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
The SMS contains instructions for accepting the support.
Why might a beneficiary receive conflicting messages?
The official FAQ explains that Nigerians can check their eligibility through the designated USSD services.
If an individual is not selected in the current phase, the system may display a message indicating that they have not been selected.
However, the ministry has not published a comprehensive explanation for every situation in which someone receives an apparent selection notification followed by an ineligible status.
Possible issues may require the provider to examine the recipient’s records, wallet status or transaction history.
These possibilities should not be presented as confirmed causes without an account-specific investigation.
What should beneficiaries do first?
The first step is to verify the original message.
The ministry says genuine notifications come only from the five authorised payment providers.
Beneficiaries should check the sender and the instructions contained in the SMS.
A genuine NERSI message should not demand money, banking PINs, OTPs or access through an unfamiliar website.
If the message contains suspicious instructions, the recipient should contact the programme’s official helpline before taking further action.
How to check the eligibility status
The ministry provides USSD codes for the authorised payment platforms.
These include *945*23# for ALAT, *671*0# for MoMo PSB and *726*00# for NairaGram.
OPay beneficiaries can use *955*20#, while Moniepoint users can dial *5573*27#.
Recipients should follow the instructions provided by their designated provider.
If the eligibility status conflicts with an earlier selection SMS, they should preserve both messages and report the discrepancy.
What information should beneficiaries keep?
Anyone reporting a disputed payment or eligibility status should retain the original selection notification.
They should also keep the date of the message, the name of the payment provider and any subsequent error notification.
Where possible, they may record the time and outcome of the attempted eligibility check.
This information can help the provider identify the transaction or verification issue.
However, beneficiaries should never disclose their PIN, OTP, password or other security credentials when making a complaint.
SERAP raises concerns over disputed NERSI payments
The issue has attracted the attention of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
According to a Premium Times report published on November 8, SERAP asked the Federal Government to investigate reports of beneficiaries who received payment notifications but could not access their money.
The organisation also cited complaints involving recipients who reportedly encountered ineligible messages.
In a Freedom of Information request dated November 7, SERAP asked the ministry to clarify beneficiary selection and verification arrangements.
It also called for effective mechanisms to resolve failed or disputed payments.
Does an ineligible message mean permanent exclusion?
Not necessarily.
The ministry says NERSI payments are made in phases and that not everyone is selected in the same batch.
However, an individual receiving a current non-selection message should not assume that future approval is guaranteed.
Where the message conflicts with an earlier notification, the appropriate step is to request clarification from the designated provider.
Who should beneficiaries contact?
For payment and wallet problems, the ministry advises beneficiaries to contact their payment providers.
For general NERSI enquiries, the official helpline is 0700-022-2222.
Beneficiaries should explain the discrepancy and provide relevant non-sensitive information.
They should not pay anyone who claims to correct their eligibility status or secure immediate approval.
The government says no individual, official or agent can influence the selection process.
For affected Nigerians, the safest approach is to verify the original notification, preserve evidence and seek clarification through official channels.
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