FG Gives Update on ₦50,000 Grant, Issues Directive
The Federal Government has issued fresh updates on its N50,000 monthly relief grant, explaining how beneficiaries are selected, why some Nigerians are yet to receive notification messages and the steps recipients must take to access the funds.
The government said the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) targets poor and vulnerable households across the country, with beneficiaries selected through verified national identity records and the National Social Register.
It explained that the selection process covers all six geopolitical zones and is not based on religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
Explaining how beneficiaries are selected, the Federal Government said the process relies on verified national identity records and the National Social Register, which contains information on poor and vulnerable households across the country.
The government also directed Nigerians not to pay anyone or register through agents to access the grant, warning that the intervention is free and beneficiaries do not need to submit applications to qualify.
According to the government, selected beneficiaries will receive SMS notifications from approved payment providers, including MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB), ALAT by Wema Bank, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
However, the Federal Government explained that the notifications and payments are being processed in batches, which means some selected Nigerians may receive their messages later than others.
It added that Nigerians whose eligibility status shows they have not been selected should note that the exercise is ongoing, although there is no guarantee that everyone excluded from the current phase will receive the money in a subsequent batch.
The government further warned against fraudulent messages circulating on social media, particularly those asking subscribers to send YES to unofficial codes with promises of receiving the grant within 24 hours.
MTN Nigeria Support also cautioned subscribers against the fake instruction, advising them not to click suspicious links, disclose their personal information, share their one-time passwords, PINs or passwords, or make payments based on such messages.
For MTN subscribers, the government-approved MoMo PSB platform provides a means of checking eligibility through the USSD code 6710#.
Selected users are expected to follow the instructions and give consent before the ₦50,000 is credited to their mobile wallets.
Beneficiaries without MoMo accounts can register by dialling *671# or downloading the official MoMo NG application.
The money can subsequently be accessed through the MoMo application, USSD or authorised agents, while recipients can also transfer the funds to their bank accounts.
The government advised Nigerians to protect their banking details, particularly their Bank Verification Numbers and PINs, and disregard anyone demanding money in exchange for the relief support.
