Nigerians who receive unexpected text messages informing them that they have been selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant may wonder how their telephone numbers were obtained.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has explained that beneficiary contact details are drawn from existing government records used for the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
According to the official NERSI FAQ, beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
The ministry says their telephone numbers come from those records and are shared with designated payment providers for the purpose of delivering the grant.
Where does NERSI obtain phone numbers?
The government identifies two principal sources used in the selection process.
These are the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
The records are used to identify poor and vulnerable households that may qualify for support.
Once beneficiaries are selected, the relevant contact information is provided to the designated financial institution.
The provider then sends an SMS containing instructions for accepting the grant.
The ministry says beneficiaries do not need to register separately.
Why might someone receive a message without applying?
NERSI does not operate a public application process.
Consequently, selected individuals may receive notifications even though they have not completed a recent NERSI registration form.
The government says selection is based on existing records.
This means an unexpected notification is not automatically fraudulent.
However, recipients should still verify the sender and the instructions.
The ministry warns that scammers may imitate the programme.
Who receives the beneficiary’s information?
The government says personal details are shared only with the designated payment provider and only for the purpose of making payment.
The five approved institutions are ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
The ministry says the information is protected under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
However, the public FAQ does not provide a complete technical explanation of data-sharing agreements, retention periods or access controls.
These details would be relevant to a fuller examination of the programme’s privacy safeguards.
Does NERSI require beneficiaries to submit their BVNs?
The government says programme officials and payment providers will never ask beneficiaries to disclose their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), PINs or OTPs.
This warning is particularly important because scammers may claim that additional identity verification is required before payment can be released.
Beneficiaries should not disclose sensitive banking information to callers or websites claiming to represent the programme.
The official acceptance process involves following the instructions provided by the designated payment provider.
Can beneficiaries refuse the grant?
Yes.
The government says payment requires consent.
A selected person who does not wish to participate can choose NO when responding through the designated provider.
The refusal is recorded and payment will not proceed.
The FAQ also says beneficiaries who change their minds can return to the provider’s USSD menu and choose YES.
However, the ministry has not published a detailed procedure explaining whether refusal also results in deletion of the person’s contact information from programme records.
Can Nigerians request information about their data?
Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 provides a legal framework for the handling of personal data.
The NERSI website says beneficiaries’ information is protected under that law.
However, the programme FAQ does not explain the specific channel through which beneficiaries can request access to, correction of or deletion of their NERSI-related personal information.
Such requests may require engagement with the relevant data controller or authorised government office.
Beneficiaries seeking clarification should use official channels rather than disclose personal information to unknown callers.
What if the message was sent to the wrong person?
The public FAQ does not provide a complete procedure for situations involving recycled telephone numbers or incorrect contact records.
However, it says payments are linked to verified beneficiary information.
A person who receives a message apparently intended for someone else should not attempt to claim the money.
Instead, the recipient should contact the designated provider or NERSI support line.
How can Nigerians identify genuine notifications?
The government says authentic notifications come from the five approved payment providers.
They do not contain registration links or requests for money.
They also do not ask beneficiaries to disclose security credentials.
Anyone uncertain about a notification can contact the programme helpline on 0700-022-2222.
The central point is that NERSI says it obtains beneficiaries’ telephone numbers from verified government records and shares them with designated providers for payment, although some operational details of data management remain unpublished.