The Federal Government has released guidelines for Nigerians selected to receive its N50,000 relief grant, explaining how beneficiaries can confirm their eligibility, accept the offer and withdraw the money, while warning them against fraudsters.
The grant, provided under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, is aimed at helping vulnerable households cope with rising living costs.
The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, which manages the programme, said the money would be disbursed to selected beneficiaries through mobile wallets operated by five approved payment providers.
According to the frequently asked questions published on the programme’s website and sighted by PUNCH Online on Thursday, the grant is free, attracts no repayment obligation and can be accessed without a smartphone or internet connection.
The government explained that beneficiaries were selected from the National Social Register and verified national identity records based on their level of need.
It, however, stressed that individuals could not apply for the grant or pay anyone to secure a place on the beneficiaries’ list.
“You cannot apply, and no one can add you to the list,” the programme stated.
It added that the selection covered all six geopolitical zones, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
“Beneficiaries are spread across all six geopolitical zones and are selected on need alone, whatever their religion, ethnic group or political affiliation,” the FAQ stated.
The government said payments would be made in phases, meaning selected beneficiaries might not receive notifications at the same time.
Those selected will receive text messages from one of the five approved payment providers: ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
The messages will contain instructions and a USSD code through which beneficiaries can accept the grant and activate their mobile wallets.
The government emphasised that receiving the notification alone would not trigger payment, as beneficiaries must accept the offer before the money is credited.
“Nothing is paid until you accept,” the FAQ stated.
It explained that the full N50,000 would be credited to each beneficiary’s wallet without deductions.
“₦50,000. The full amount goes into your wallet. Nothing is deducted,” it added.
The intervention is a grant, not a loan, and recipients are not expected to repay the money.
“No. It is a grant from the Federal Government. You do not pay it back,” the programme stated.
The government also clarified that beneficiaries without smartphones or internet access could receive and withdraw their money using basic mobile phones.
It said the USSD codes provided by the payment companies worked without an internet connection.
“No. A basic phone is enough. The codes work without the internet,” the FAQ stated.
Beneficiaries can withdraw their money through Point of Sale agents by transferring funds from their mobile wallets and collecting cash.
They can also transfer the money to personal bank accounts or other accounts through their providers’ USSD codes or official applications.
For instance, ALAT beneficiaries can dial 94523Account NumberAmount# to transfer funds, while MoMo PSB customers can use 6710#.
NairaGram users can dial 72600#, OPay customers 95520# and Moniepoint beneficiaries 557327#.
The government said recipients could withdraw the entire amount or take only part of it, leaving the balance in their wallets.
“Yes. You can withdraw all or part of it. The rest stays safely in your wallet,” it stated.
It, however, warned that while receiving the grant and responding to programme messages were free, POS operators could charge their usual withdrawal fees.
Beneficiaries were advised to confirm such charges before completing transactions.
On concerns about delayed notifications, the government urged Nigerians who had yet to receive text messages not to assume they had been excluded.
It explained that payments were being processed in batches and that not everyone would be selected in the current phase.
Those seeking to confirm their status can use their assigned payment providers’ USSD codes to check their eligibility.
The government also warned against individuals claiming they could facilitate selection or accelerate payment in exchange for money.
“No one can add you to the list or speed up your payment. Anyone who offers to do so for a fee is a fraudster,” the FAQ stated.
It further cautioned beneficiaries against sharing their personal identification numbers, one-time passwords or Bank Verification Numbers with anyone.
According to the programme, genuine notifications will come only from the official sender names of the five approved payment providers and will not contain links.
It advised recipients to ignore suspicious WhatsApp messages, unfamiliar links and requests to download unofficial applications.
“Chain messages are fake. Forwarding a message does not make anyone a beneficiary. Delete it,” the government warned.
Beneficiaries who receive calls claiming that their grants were paid in error and must be refunded were also advised not to send money.
“Do not send money to anyone. This is a common trick. Call your provider’s official help line to check,” the FAQ stated.
The government further assured beneficiaries that losing their phones or SIM cards would not result in the loss of their money, as the funds would remain in their mobile wallets.
It advised affected recipients to contact their payment providers immediately and obtain replacement SIM cards bearing their original phone numbers.
For complaints and enquiries, beneficiaries can contact ALAT by Wema on 0803 900 3700, MoMo PSB on 671 or 0803 106 7100, NairaGram on 0201 330 0880 or 0201 330 0881, and OPay on 0700 888 8328 or 0201 888 8328.
The NERSI programme helpline is 0700-022-2222.
The government advised beneficiaries to contact their assigned payment providers for wallet and transaction-related complaints, while enquiries about the intervention should be directed to the programme’s helpline.
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