The Federal Government has started distributing N50,000 cash assistance to vulnerable Nigerians under its National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed the commencement of the programme in a statement issued on October 30 and sighted by PUNCH Online on Tuesday. He described the initiative as a presidential intervention aimed at providing immediate financial support to Nigerians facing economic difficulties.
Doro explained that the programme was introduced to reduce the impact of rising food prices and increasing costs of essential commodities on households.
“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,” he said.
The minister noted that the programme would undergo periodic reviews to reflect changes in the cost of living, adding that beneficiaries would be informed ahead of any adjustments.
He also disclosed that the ministry had partnered with licensed digital financial service providers to facilitate secure and transparent payments to beneficiaries.
“Beneficiaries will receive an SMS from one of these providers asking for their consent. This message is genuine. Once consent is given, payment is made directly to the beneficiary’s account/mobile wallet,” he stated.
The approved payment providers and their respective USSD codes are ALAT by Wema (94523#), MoMo PSB (6710#), NairaGram (72600#), OPay (95520#) and Moniepoint (557327#).
