The Federal Government has commenced the disbursement of N50,000 monthly cash relief to vulnerable Nigerians under its National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the commencement of the programme in a statement issued on October 30, describing it as a presidential initiative aimed at providing immediate financial assistance to vulnerable households.
Doro said the intervention was designed to cushion the effects of rising food prices and the increasing cost of essential goods.
According to him, eligible beneficiaries will receive N50,000 monthly to help them meet basic needs and ease the burden of the rising cost of living.
He added that the programme would be reviewed regularly to reflect changes in the cost of living, with beneficiaries notified ahead of any adjustments.
The minister explained that the ministry was working with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure and transparent delivery of the funds.
He said beneficiaries would receive text messages from approved providers seeking their consent, after which the payments would be made directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
The approved providers include ALAT by Wema (\*945\*23#), MoMo PSB (\*671\*0#), NairaGram (\*726\*00#), OPay (\*955\*20#) and Moniepoint (\*557\*327#).
Meanwhile, the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP) announced on Tuesday that payments under the intervention were ongoing, with beneficiaries receiving notifications through their registered phone numbers.
The programme advised applicants whose eligibility status showed “NOT SELECTED” to remain patient and await subsequent batches, although it did not guarantee that they would eventually receive the support.
Doro stressed that beneficiaries were not required to apply, pay any fee or register through agents to access the relief.
He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters, advising them not to disclose their personal identification numbers or Bank Verification Numbers to anyone.
The minister urged anyone uncertain about messages received or approached by individuals demanding payment to contact the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.
