Nigerians selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant have been advised to accept their payment notifications promptly, although the government has not announced a fixed deadline for responding.
The clarification comes as beneficiaries seek information about how long they can wait before accepting support under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The programme, managed by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, provides financial assistance to selected vulnerable households.
According to the official NERSI website, beneficiaries are expected to respond to notifications from their designated payment providers to authorise the release of their grants.
However, the ministry has not specified a universal deadline after which an unanswered notification automatically expires.
Is there a deadline for accepting the ₦50,000 grant?
The official FAQ addresses this question directly.
It advises beneficiaries to accept the offer as soon as possible after receiving the SMS.
The ministry also explains that payment providers will send reminders to recipients who have not responded.
However, the guidance does not state that beneficiaries must accept within 24 hours, 48 hours or seven days.
Consequently, claims circulating online about a compulsory acceptance deadline should not be treated as official unless supported by a fresh government announcement.
The absence of a published deadline does not mean beneficiaries should deliberately postpone their responses.
Why must beneficiaries accept before payment?
NERSI operates a consent-based payment system.
This means the government does not simply transfer money to every selected person without first obtaining their approval.
The process begins when a designated provider sends an SMS confirming selection.
The recipient then follows the instructions in the message to accept the support.
Once consent is given, a mobile wallet linked to the beneficiary’s phone number and National Identification Number is opened.
The ₦50,000 grant is then credited through the approved payment arrangement.
The government says no payment is made without consent.
What happens if a beneficiary ignores the SMS?
A beneficiary who does not respond has not completed the consent process.
Consequently, the payment will not proceed merely because the person received a selection notification.
The official FAQ says providers will send reminders encouraging beneficiaries to accept.
However, it does not specify how many reminders will be sent or how long they will continue.
Recipients should therefore not assume that reminders will arrive indefinitely.
They should follow the original instructions when they are satisfied that the notification is genuine.
Can beneficiaries accept after several days?
The published FAQ does not provide a fixed number of days within which acceptance must occur.
It also does not expressly guarantee that every notification will remain valid indefinitely.
Therefore, beneficiaries who have delayed their responses should use their provider’s official USSD channel to check the available options.
If the consent option is no longer accessible, they should contact the provider or NERSI support line for clarification.
They should avoid paying agents who claim to reactivate expired notifications.
What if the original SMS has been deleted?
Deleting a notification does not automatically establish that the beneficiary has lost eligibility.
The government’s payment process also allows users to access provider USSD menus and check their eligibility.
A selected beneficiary who has deleted the message can use the official code associated with the designated provider.
However, the individual should first confirm the provider’s identity rather than respond to random messages.
The NERSI programme helpline can also provide guidance.
How can beneficiaries identify genuine notifications?
The government says genuine notifications come from ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay or Moniepoint.
The messages do not demand registration fees, payment to an agent or disclosure of PINs and one-time passwords.
They also do not contain links that recipients must click to claim the grant.
Beneficiaries should be suspicious of messages that threaten immediate cancellation unless they transfer money or disclose sensitive information.
Such demands are inconsistent with the programme’s published rules.
What should recipients do now?
Selected beneficiaries should verify the sender and follow the instructions provided by their approved payment provider.
They should give consent through the official channel and wait for confirmation that the wallet has been credited.
Those experiencing technical problems can contact their providers.
For general questions, NERSI lists 0700-022-2222 as its official helpline.
The key distinction is that the government encourages prompt acceptance but has not published a fixed expiry period for all NERSI notifications.
Beneficiaries should therefore act promptly without relying on unverified claims about payment deadlines.