Nigerians awaiting the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant may receive payments before Christmas, but authorities have yet to announce a deadline for completing outstanding disbursements.
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), introduced on October 30, 2026, is designed to support vulnerable households struggling with rising living costs.
Although the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, described the intervention as a monthly payment programme, beneficiaries are not necessarily receiving their money simultaneously.
Payments are reportedly being processed in batches, leaving some selected Nigerians uncertain about when their grants will arrive.
With Christmas approaching on December 25, questions have emerged about whether outstanding payments will be completed before the festive period.
Will FG pay the ₦50,000 grant before Christmas?
The Federal Government has not announced a specific date for completing outstanding NERSI payments.
According to a November 13 report by Legit.ng, disbursements are being processed in phases across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
This means some beneficiaries could receive payments before Christmas, while others may have to wait longer.
However, there is no official guarantee that all outstanding beneficiaries will be paid by December 25.
The government has also not published a detailed timetable showing when the next payment batches will be processed.
How many Nigerians have received the ₦50,000 grant?
The Legit.ng report, citing earlier reporting, stated that approximately 150,000 people had received payments by early November out of an estimated one million intended beneficiaries.
If those figures are accurate, about 850,000 people remained unpaid at that point.
However, the figures have not been independently confirmed against a comprehensive government disbursement report.
They also do not establish the current number of beneficiaries paid as of November 13.
The absence of updated figures makes it difficult to determine how quickly the programme is progressing or how many recipients may receive their grants before Christmas.
Why some beneficiaries are still waiting
Under the NERSI arrangement, beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation explains that selection is based on poverty and vulnerability criteria.
The programme covers all six geopolitical zones, but payments are not necessarily completed at the same time.
Consequently, a person who has not received an SMS notification should not assume that everyone in their state has already been paid.
However, inclusion in the National Social Register does not automatically guarantee selection for the grant.
How to know if you have been selected for NERSI
According to the government, selected beneficiaries receive SMS notifications from authorised financial service providers.
The five participating platforms are:
| Payment provider | Official USSD code |
|---|---|
| ALAT by Wema Bank | *945*23# |
| MoMo PSB | *671*0# |
| NairaGram | *726*00# |
| OPay | *955*20# |
| Moniepoint | *557*327# |
Beneficiaries may be required to reply YES to a notification or use their provider’s designated USSD service to accept the grant.
After consent is given, the payment is credited to the beneficiary’s mobile wallet.
However, receiving an SMS or accepting the payment does not necessarily establish that the funds have already been credited.
Will beneficiaries receive another ₦50,000 in December?
In his October 30 announcement, Doro described NERSI as a monthly intervention.
He said eligible beneficiaries would receive ₦50,000 monthly to help meet essential household needs.
However, the ministry’s subsequent clarification did not specify the duration of the programme or provide a timetable for subsequent payments.
This means two questions remain unresolved: when outstanding beneficiaries will receive their first grants and when those already paid should expect another instalment.
As CrispNG previously reported, the government has not confirmed a date for a second payment in November or December.
What Nigerians awaiting payment should do
Beneficiaries should monitor messages from their designated financial service providers and follow only verified payment instructions.
The government says there is no public application process for NERSI.
It also warns that no agent can influence selection or demand money to facilitate payment.
Recipients should not disclose their Bank Verification Numbers, PINs or one-time passwords to individuals promising to accelerate disbursements.
For enquiries or complaints, Nigerians can contact the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.
For now, the possibility of receiving ₦50,000 before Christmas remains open, but the Federal Government has not guaranteed that outstanding payments will be completed before December 25, 2026.