Federal Government Begins NERSI N50,000 Cash Relief Payments to Vulnerable Nigerians

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, formally announced the commencement of payments on October 30, 2026. He said eligible beneficiaries would receive N50,000 each month to help them meet essential household needs, adding that the programme would be reviewed periodically in response to changes in the cost of living.

Reports from early beneficiaries indicate that payments are flowing through three approved payment service providers at the initial stage: MoMo Payment Service Bank, ALAT by Wema Bank and NairaGram. Some recipients said they received text messages days before they noticed them, while others reported initial difficulties activating their payments before successfully completing the process and receiving credit alerts in their mobile wallets.

The payment design involves a consent step before any money moves. Eligible beneficiaries selected under NERSI receive an SMS notification from their designated payment provider, asking them to consent to the transfer. Once consent is confirmed, the N50,000 is credited to the beneficiary’s mobile wallet with the provider in question.

The Federal Government has been specific about the USSD codes that beneficiaries should use through each provider. MoMo PSB users should dial *671*0# to process their eligibility. ALAT by Wema customers can use *945*23#. NairaGram users should dial *726*00#. Beneficiaries who receive an SMS notification are advised to follow the steps provided in the genuine message from their provider, not instructions circulating on social media or received from third parties.

The programme is being implemented in phases. Beneficiaries who have not yet received a notification may receive one in a later phase, as the government releases payments in batches rather than disbursing to all eligible households at once. Accordingly, not receiving a notification in the first few days does not mean a household has been excluded from the programme.

A significant number of Nigerians have reported receiving automated messages telling them they are not currently selected to receive the relief support. This message should be read carefully. The official programme guidelines state that it does not necessarily mean permanent exclusion from the programme. Rather, it indicates that the individual is not among the current beneficiary batch. As payments are issued in phases, those who receive this message may still receive notifications in subsequent rounds.

Nigerians who are uncertain about their status or who have questions about the programme are encouraged to contact the official NERSI helpline at 0700-022-2222 for guidance. The helpline is the appropriate channel for any query about eligibility, payment timing or problems with the activation process.

Importantly, the programme is entirely free. Beneficiaries do not need to register with any agent, pay any fee or submit any application to access the funds. The Federal Government has been clear that beneficiaries are selected through verified national records, including the National Social Register, and that no external agent has any role in that process. Any individual who approaches a Nigerian claiming to be able to secure their selection or process their payment in exchange for money is operating a scam.

The Federal Government and the approved payment providers have each issued warnings about the risk of fraudulent actors exploiting the NERSI programme to defraud vulnerable citizens. Beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries alike are advised not to share their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), One-Time Passwords (OTPs) or other banking and mobile wallet security credentials with any person or organisation, regardless of how official the request appears.

Fraudsters may attempt to impersonate NERSI officials, government ministries or the approved payment providers through phone calls, text messages or social media posts. Any contact from an unverified source that asks for security details, requests payment or offers to speed up the process should be treated with extreme suspicion. Citizens who suspect they have been targeted by fraud should report the contact to the NERSI helpline and to their payment provider’s fraud reporting line.

The government’s decision to route NERSI disbursements through established, regulated digital financial service providers is itself a fraud-mitigation measure. By channelling payments through licensed platforms that operate under Central Bank of NigeriaThe Central Bank of Nigeria, which sets interest rates and manages the naira. oversight, the programme creates an audit trail and a compliance framework that cash-based distribution methods cannot provide. It also leverages existing customer verification processes that these platforms have already conducted on their account holders.

NERSI was conceived as a direct response to the severe cost-of-living pressure bearing down on low-income Nigerian households following the removal of the fuel subsidy and the significant depreciation of the naira. The consequences of both decisions have been felt most acutely by households at the bottom of the income distribution, for whom food, transport and energy now consume a dramatically larger share of earnings than they did two years ago.

A monthly cash transfer of N50,000 will not resolve structural economic challenges, but it provides a meaningful cushion for families living on the margins. For those who receive it, the payment represents real purchasing power that can go toward food, school fees, medication or other urgent needs. The programme’s decision to use digital channels means that, in most cases, the money goes directly to the intended beneficiary rather than being intercepted along a traditional distribution chain.

Nigeria has a documented history of social protection programmes that lose significant portions of their funding to leakage, fraud and mismanagement. The digital architecture of NERSI is intended to address those weaknesses. Whether the programme delivers on that intention will become clearer as disbursements progress and independent monitoring organisations begin to assess the reach and accuracy of payments.

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Recommend Story 0 Share: About the author Pamela Daniel Paul Business Reporter Abuja, Nigeria

Pamela Daniel is the sharp, go-to Real Estate Business Writer for The Gazette News, Nigeria’s premier digital journalism network, where she demystifies the fast-paced world… Read full bio →

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