The Federal Government has commenced a new cash relief intervention under which eligible vulnerable households are expected to receive ₦50,000 monthly to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, announced the initiative on Friday in Abuja, describing the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) as a presidential programme designed to provide immediate financial assistance to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.
Doro said the intervention was introduced against the backdrop of global food inflation and rising prices of essential goods, which have continued to put pressure on household finances.
“Under this intervention, eligible beneficiaries will receive ₦50,000 monthly, providing direct assistance to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of living costs,” the minister said.
According to him, the payment arrangement will be reviewed periodically in response to changes in the cost of living, with beneficiaries expected to receive direct notification before any adjustment is made.
The ministry said it is working with licensed digital financial service providers to facilitate secure and transparent payments.
Beneficiaries will receive SMS notifications from approved providers requesting their consent before funds are paid into their accounts or mobile wallets.
Doro stressed that Nigerians do not need to apply, pay a fee or register through an agent to receive the intervention.
He also warned against fraudsters seeking to exploit the programme, urging beneficiaries not to disclose their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to anyone.
“If you are unsure about any message, or anyone asks you for money, call the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222,” he said.
The Federal Ministry’s NERSI portal says beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records, rather than through public applications.
It also lists ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo Payment Service Bank and NairaGram as approved payment providers.
The ministry says beneficiaries will be reached in phases and should only respond to genuine messages from approved payment providers.
It has warned that genuine NERSI communications will not request payment, PINs, OTPs or BVNs, and that beneficiaries should not click links or download applications sent through suspicious messages.
NERSI is expected to complement existing Federal Government social protection and economic support programmes, with the ministry saying it is intended to strengthen household resilience and promote economic stability.
Doro said the intervention forms part of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Tinubu and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the programme with dignity, transparency and accountability.
