The Federal Government's National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention programme provides financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerian households. MTN users selected for the programme can check their eligibility and accept the support through the MoMo Payment Service Bank USSD code. This development aims to provide relief to those in need, amid rising living costs.
A social media message circulating online advises MTN subscribers who have not received payment or are marked "NOT ELIGIBLE" to send "YES" to a fake code, promising they will receive the money within 24 hours. However, MTN Nigeria Support has warned that this instruction is not from the company and advised subscribers to disregard it. Users are urged not to click unverified links, disclose personal information, or make payments based on such messages.
According to the official NERSI portal, beneficiaries are selected from verified national identity records and the National Social Register. They are contacted through approved payment providers, including MoMo PSB, ALAT by Wema, NairaGram, OPay, and Moniepoint. For MTN subscribers, MoMo PSB is the designated payment provider. Beneficiaries can dial *671*0# from their registered phone numbers to check eligibility and follow on-screen instructions.
To access the N50,000 grant, MTN users can follow a series of steps. If selected, they will receive an official notification confirming their selection. They should then follow the instructions in the message or use the USSD code to give consent. A genuine MoMo notification will appear on the phone, asking the recipient to accept the support. Users should follow the prompt and press the appropriate option to give consent.
Beneficiaries without a MoMo wallet can dial *671# or download the official MoMo NG application to register. Once the N50,000 is credited, beneficiaries can access it through the MoMo application, USSD, or a MoMo agent. They can also transfer the funds to a bank account. The Federal Government said beneficiaries would receive an SMS from their payment providers requesting consent before the money is transferred to their mobile wallets.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the commencement of the intervention on October 30. Eligible beneficiaries will receive N50,000 monthly to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of living costs. Dr Doro stated that beneficiaries will receive an SMS from one of the providers asking for their consent, which is genuine. Once consent is given, payment is made directly to the beneficiary's account or mobile wallet.
The ministry warned Nigerians against sharing their PINs and Bank Verification Numbers with anyone. The official NERSI portal states that the programme is free, and selected beneficiaries are contacted in batches. Users can dial their payment provider's code and select the eligibility-check option. Those whose status shows "NOT SELECTED" are not necessarily permanently excluded, as payments are being made in phases. For enquiries or complaints, beneficiaries can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or MoMo PSB customer support on 671.
Key points
- MTN users can dial *671*0# to check eligibility for the N50,000 grant.
- Beneficiaries will receive an SMS from their payment providers requesting consent before the money is transferred to their mobile wallets.
- The programme is free, and users are warned against sharing their PINs and Bank Verification Numbers with anyone.
