Susan Abayomi
The Federal Government has commenced the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), a cash support programme designed to provide financial assistance to poor and vulnerable households across Nigeria.
Under the initiative, eligible beneficiaries are expected to receive ₦50,000 in financial support to help cushion the effects of rising living costs and the increasing prices of essential goods.
The programme is being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, which has partnered with five approved financial service providers to facilitate the disbursement directly into beneficiaries’ mobile wallets.
The approved providers are ALAT by Wema Bank, MTN MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB), NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
Nigerians can use the following USSD codes to check their eligibility and access the programme through their respective payment providers:
- ALAT by Wema Bank: 94523#
- MTN MoMo PSB: 6710#
- NairaGram: 72600#
- OPay: 95520#
- Moniepoint: 557327#
Beneficiaries are expected to dial the relevant code using their registered mobile phone numbers and follow the instructions provided to check their status.
According to the government, selected individuals will receive SMS notifications from their respective payment providers, informing them of their selection and requesting their consent before payment is processed.
Who Qualifies for the Relief Programme?
The Federal Government explained that beneficiaries would be selected from verified national identity records and the National Social Register, with priority given to poor and vulnerable households.
The intervention is expected to cover beneficiaries across the country’s six geopolitical zones, irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
However, the government clarified that not every Nigerian would qualify, as payments would be made in phases based on established eligibility criteria.
It also stressed that interested individuals do not need to register independently or pay anyone to secure a place on the beneficiary list.
FG Warns Against Fraudsters
The government has cautioned Nigerians against fraudsters seeking to exploit the relief programme by demanding money or personal banking information from prospective beneficiaries.
It emphasised that the intervention is completely free and warned recipients never to disclose their ATM PINs, one-time passwords (OTPs) or banking passwords to anyone claiming to facilitate payment.
Members of the public have also been advised to avoid suspicious links and individuals promising to influence beneficiary selection.
For enquiries and assistance, Nigerians can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or visit the programme’s official website.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the commencement of NERSI on October 30, 2026, describing it as a Federal Government intervention aimed at providing immediate financial relief and strengthening household resilience amid prevailing economic challenges.
