The Federal Government has released guidelines for its ₦50,000 relief support scheme for vulnerable Nigerians, clarifying that beneficiaries will be selected automatically without any application or registration process.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction disclosed this in a press release dated November 6, 2026, explaining that the intervention, known as the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), is designed to support vulnerable households grappling with rising living costs.
According to the Ministry, beneficiaries will be selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records, using established poverty and vulnerability criteria.
It added that the selection process would cover all six geopolitical zones of the country and would not be influenced by individuals, government officials, agents or other third parties.
Under the programme, each selected beneficiary will receive a one-off grant of ₦50,000, with the Ministry emphasising that the full amount will be credited without deductions and does not require repayment.
The Ministry explained that successful beneficiaries would be notified through SMS messages sent by authorised digital financial service providers, containing instructions on how to accept and access the financial support.
It listed the approved payment platforms and their corresponding USSD codes as ALAT by Wema Bank (94523#), MoMo PSB (6710#), NairaGram (72600#), OPay (95520#) and Moniepoint (557327#).
Beneficiaries may be required to reply YES to the notification or dial their designated provider’s USSD code to give consent and access the funds.
The Ministry further stated that the grant would be credited directly to beneficiaries’ mobile wallets, adding that recipients would not need a smartphone or internet connection to access the USSD service.
In a move to prevent fraud, the Federal Government warned Nigerians against individuals or agents demanding payment to facilitate inclusion in the programme or accelerate disbursement.
It stressed that there was no application fee, registration link or requirement to pay anyone to access the grant.
Beneficiaries were also cautioned against disclosing their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), One-Time Passwords (OTPs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to anyone.
For enquiries and complaints, the Ministry provided an official NERSI helpline: 0700-022-2222.
The Ministry reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the intervention is implemented transparently and accountably, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
