FG’s ₦50,000 grant: What happens if beneficiaries mistakenly reply NO to NERSI payment SMS?

Nigerians selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 relief grant can still accept the payment if they mistakenly reject the offer while responding to their notification messages.

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has clarified that beneficiaries who initially decline the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) support can change their decisions through their designated payment providers.

The clarification addresses concerns among potential beneficiaries who may accidentally select the wrong option while responding to messages from approved financial institutions.

According to the official NERSI frequently asked questions, beneficiaries who choose NO will not receive the money unless they subsequently change their response.

NERSI requires beneficiaries to give consent before the government releases their ₦50,000 support.

Selected Nigerians receive SMS notifications from one of five approved payment providers: ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay or Moniepoint.

The notification contains instructions on accepting the payment, usually through a designated USSD code.

Beneficiaries who select YES authorise the payment process.

However, those who select NO have their refusal recorded.

The ministry explains that the grant will not be paid while the refusal remains in effect.

This means selection alone is insufficient to trigger payment.

The government says beneficiaries who mistakenly decline the offer or change their minds can dial their designated provider’s USSD code again and choose YES.

The procedure allows selected individuals to reverse an earlier refusal without making a new application.

For example, someone who accidentally selects NO while responding to an OPay notification can use the official OPay NERSI code again and follow the instructions to accept.

However, the person must use the appropriate provider associated with the original notification.

The government lists five approved payment providers and their corresponding codes:

Beneficiaries should dial the code associated with their designated provider and follow the instructions displayed.

They should not disclose their transaction PINs or one-time passwords to anyone offering assistance.

The government explains that once beneficiaries give consent, a mobile wallet is opened and the ₦50,000 support is credited.

A confirmation SMS is then sent by the payment provider.

However, the published FAQ does not specify a separate processing timeline for beneficiaries who reverse an earlier refusal.

Affected individuals should therefore check their wallet status and contact their provider if the payment does not appear.

They should not assume that a delayed credit means their eligibility has been permanently cancelled.

The programme does not operate a public application or registration process.

Beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.

Consequently, a person who mistakenly declines the payment should not visit an unofficial registration website or pay an agent to be selected again.

The ministry says no individual can influence beneficiary selection or demand payment to facilitate the grant.

Beneficiaries should first check their network connection and retry.

If the problem continues, the government advises contacting the designated payment provider.

For general programme enquiries, the official NERSI helpline is 0700-022-2222.

The most important point is that accidentally selecting NO does not necessarily end a beneficiary’s opportunity to receive the grant.

The government’s guidance expressly allows selected recipients to return to the USSD menu and accept the offer.

However, only those already selected under the programme can use the consent process to receive payment.