The Federal Government has commenced a monthly cash relief programme offering ₦50,000 to vulnerable households to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, announced this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday.
Doro described the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) as a presidential initiative aimed at providing immediate financial assistance to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.
He said the intervention was introduced in response to global food inflation and the rising cost of essential goods, which have continued to put pressure on household finances.
“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 explained that the programme would be reviewed periodically to reflect changes in the cost of living, adding that beneficiaries would be notified directly before any adjustments were made.
According to him, the ministry is partnering with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure the secure, timely and transparent disbursement of funds.
He said beneficiaries would receive text messages from the service providers seeking their consent before payments are made directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
Doro stressed that eligible beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay fees or register through agents to access the intervention.
He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters, urging beneficiaries not to disclose their personal identification numbers (PINs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to anyone.
“If you are unsure about any message, or anyone asks you for money, call the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222,” he said.
The minister said NERSI was designed to complement existing Federal Government social protection and economic support programmes while strengthening household resilience and economic stability.
He added that the intervention was aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the programme with dignity, transparency and accountability.
