Nigerians living outside their states of origin may qualify for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant, although the programme’s public guidance does not explain every circumstance involving changes of residence.
The National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) targets poor and vulnerable households across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to the official NERSI FAQ, selection is based on verified national identity records and the National Social Register.
The government also says beneficiaries are selected regardless of ethnic group, religion or political affiliation.
However, the FAQ does not expressly explain whether a person’s state of origin, current residence or previous address determines where the individual is considered for selection.
Is NERSI restricted to particular states?
No.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction says beneficiaries are spread across all six geopolitical zones.
This means the programme is not officially limited to one state or region.
However, the government does not promise that every state will receive the same number of beneficiaries.
It also does not publish a detailed state-by-state selection formula in the FAQ.
The ministry says the intervention is based on poverty and vulnerability.
Can someone from Kano receive payment while living in Lagos?
The official FAQ does not establish a general rule requiring beneficiaries to remain in their states of origin.
However, it also does not directly address how residence changes affect the selection records.
A Nigerian originally from Kano who currently lives in Lagos should therefore not assume that relocation automatically disqualifies them.
Equally, it would be premature to guarantee eligibility without knowing how the person’s information is recorded in the relevant government databases.
The decisive issue is whether the person has been selected under the programme.
What if someone relocated after being registered?
Some Nigerians may have moved to another state after their information was collected for government records.
For example, a household previously living in Benue may have relocated to Abuja.
The public NERSI guidance does not explain how changes of address are reflected in the selection process.
It also does not provide a special procedure for beneficiaries who relocate after receiving selection notifications.
However, the programme’s payment system operates through mobile wallets rather than requiring every recipient to visit an office in their original state.
This may make the payment process more accessible to people living away from their previous addresses.
Must beneficiaries travel home to collect the grant?
The official payment instructions do not require selected Nigerians to travel to their states of origin.
The government says beneficiaries can accept the grant through USSD.
Once consent is given, the money is credited to a mobile wallet.
Recipients can then use authorised payment channels to access their funds.
These include POS agents, bank transfers and other services supported by the designated provider.
Consequently, the published payment process does not depend on collecting physical cash from a government office in one’s home state.
Can beneficiaries withdraw money anywhere in Nigeria?
The government says beneficiaries can use POS agents or transfer funds to bank accounts.
However, the FAQ does not publish a universal guarantee that every agent in every location can process all NERSI wallet transactions.
The practical availability of services depends on the provider, network connectivity and supported transaction channels.
Beneficiaries should confirm the available options through their designated providers.
They should also ask about ordinary withdrawal charges before completing transactions.
Does state of origin affect the amount received?
The government says each selected beneficiary receives ₦50,000.
The official FAQ does not specify different payment amounts for different states.
It also says the full amount is credited without programme deductions.
This means the published grant amount is the same for selected beneficiaries, regardless of their location.
However, ordinary transaction charges may apply when withdrawing cash through POS agents.
What if a beneficiary’s address is incorrect?
The public FAQ does not provide a specific address-correction procedure.
Affected individuals should contact NERSI for clarification rather than pay an unofficial agent to change their records.
The government says there is no public registration process and no individual can influence selection.
The official helpline is 0700-022-2222.
The key point is that NERSI operates nationwide and does not require beneficiaries to travel to their states of origin to collect payment, but the ministry has not fully explained how residence changes affect selection.