The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of its ₦50,000 monthly cash relief to vulnerable Nigerians. Customers of five participating financial service providers can use designated USSD codes to check their eligibility.
The Federal Government has commenced payments under its ₦50,000 monthly cash relief programme for vulnerable Nigerians.
The intervention, known as the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), aims to provide financial assistance to households struggling with rising living costs.
The government is working with five licensed digital financial service providers to facilitate the payments. They include OPay, Moniepoint, ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB) and NairaGram.
Customers of these platforms can check their eligibility using designated USSD codes without necessarily accessing the internet.
Here is how to check through each provider.
1. How to check FG ₦50,000 relief eligibility on OPay
OPay customers can check their eligibility through the company’s mobile application or USSD service.
To check through the app:
- Open your OPay application.
- Check the homepage for a Federal Government relief notification.
- If the pop-up appears, click on it.
- Follow the instructions to proceed.
Alternatively, dial *955*20# using the phone number linked to your account.
OPay has clarified that only eligible customers will see the relief notification on their app homepage. Customers who cannot see the feature should not assume they qualify.
2. How to check eligibility on Moniepoint
Moniepoint customers can use the designated USSD code to check their eligibility.
Follow these steps:
- Open your phone dialler.
- Dial
*557*327#. - Follow the instructions displayed on your phone.
The service provides an option for customers to check without an internet connection.
3. How to check eligibility through ALAT by Wema Bank
Customers using ALAT by Wema Bank can check their eligibility through the bank’s USSD service.
To do this:
- Open your phone dialler.
- Dial
*945*23#. - Follow the instructions provided.
Customers should use the phone number linked to their financial account.
4. How to check eligibility on MoMo PSB
MoMo Payment Service Bank customers can also check their eligibility using the approved USSD code.
The steps are:
- Open your phone dialler.
- Dial
*671*0#. - Follow the instructions displayed.
Customers can use this option without needing mobile data.
5. How to check eligibility on NairaGram
NairaGram customers can also check their eligibility through a dedicated USSD service.
To check:
- Open your phone dialler.
- Dial
*726*00#. - Follow the instructions on your screen.
NairaGram is one of the five financial service providers participating in the intervention.
How will eligible Nigerians receive the ₦50,000 payment?
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the commencement of the programme in an October 30 statement.
According to the minister, qualified beneficiaries will receive ₦50,000 monthly to help them meet essential needs.
The government is partnering with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure and transparent payments.
Before disbursement, beneficiaries will receive an SMS requesting their consent. The money will then be transferred directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
The government will also review the intervention regularly.
Does everyone qualify for the FG ₦50,000 relief?
No. The programme is specifically designed for eligible vulnerable Nigerians.
Having an account with any of the five participating providers does not automatically qualify a customer for the payment.
The Federal Government determines eligibility, while the financial service providers facilitate the disbursement.
The government has also clarified that Nigerians do not need to submit applications, pay registration fees or register through agents to receive the support.
How to avoid FG ₦50,000 relief scams
As public interest in the programme grows, Nigerians have been warned to watch out for fraudsters pretending to facilitate payments.
OPay has specifically cautioned customers against sharing their personal identification numbers (PINs) and one-time passwords (OTPs).
The company stressed that it would never request these details to process a NERSI payment.
Nigerians should avoid suspicious links, unofficial websites and agents demanding money to secure a place among beneficiaries.
Anyone seeking clarification can contact the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.