FG Clarifies Selection Process For ₦50,000 NERSI Relief Fund, Warns Against Fraudsters
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has clarified how beneficiaries are selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), warning Nigerians against individuals demanding money or promising to secure them a place on the beneficiary list.
The Ministry explained that beneficiaries are selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records based on established poverty and vulnerability criteria.
In a statement issued by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Janet McDickson Noah, the Ministry said the selection process covers all six geopolitical zones.
It stressed that there is no application or registration process for the intervention, adding that neither individuals nor agents can influence the selection of beneficiaries.
Under the programme, each selected beneficiary will receive ₦50,000 as financial assistance, which the Ministry clarified is a grant and not a loan. Recipients are therefore not required to repay the money.
The Ministry further explained that successful beneficiaries would be notified through text messages sent by authorised digital financial service providers.
The Federal Government’s official NERSI website identifies the approved payment providers as ALAT by Wema Bank, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
According to the programme guidelines, beneficiaries are required to give their consent before payments are processed into their mobile wallets.
The Ministry also warned Nigerians against disclosing their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs), One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to anyone claiming to facilitate access to the relief fund.
It urged members of the public to disregard individuals requesting payment for registration, beneficiary selection or faster processing of the grant.
For enquiries and complaints concerning the intervention, the Ministry directed Nigerians to contact the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.
The NERSI initiative was announced by the Federal Government on October 30, 2026, as an emergency financial support programme aimed at helping vulnerable households cope with rising living costs.
The Ministry said the intervention forms part of the government’s commitment to providing relief to vulnerable Nigerians with transparency, accountability and dignity, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
