OPay has clarified how customers can determine whether they are eligible for the Federal Government’s N50,000 cash relief under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), warning Nigerians to beware of fraudsters targeting beneficiaries.
The fintech company said eligible customers would see a pop-up notification on the homepage of their OPay mobile app.
Customers who receive the notification are expected to click on it and follow the instructions to proceed with the payment process.
OPay, however, stressed that customers who do not see the notification should not assume they can register through an agent or third party, as the company does not determine eligibility for the government intervention.
In a post on its X handle on Tuesday, OPay directed customers seeking further clarification to the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.
The company also warned against attempts by fraudsters to obtain sensitive banking information from Nigerians seeking the relief.
“OPay will never ask for your PIN or OTP to process a NERSI relief payment. Do not pay any agent or click unverified links,” the company said.
Customers can check their status through the official OPay app or by dialling *955*20#.
The Federal Government’s NERSI website also lists OPay’s USSD code as an official channel for checking eligibility and accessing payments.
The clarification comes as the Federal Government begins disbursing N50,000 to selected vulnerable Nigerians under NERSI, a presidential intervention designed to provide immediate financial assistance to poor and vulnerable households amid rising living costs.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the commencement of the programme on October 30, saying eligible beneficiaries would receive N50,000 to help meet essential needs.
According to the government, beneficiaries are selected from verified national identity records and the National Social Register.
There is no application process or fee for inclusion in the programme.
Selected beneficiaries receive an SMS from their participating financial service provider seeking consent before the money is credited to their account or mobile wallet.
Apart from OPay, approved payment providers include ALAT by Wema, MoMo PSB, NairaGram and Moniepoint, with each provider assigned a USSD channel for eligibility checks and payment processing.
The government has repeatedly warned that Nigerians do not need to pay agents, register at offices or provide sensitive banking details to receive the support.
Official NERSI guidance states that genuine programme communications will not request a PIN, OTP, password or payment, and will not direct beneficiaries to suspicious links.
