MTN subscribers selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 monthly relief programme can check their eligibility and accept the financial support through the MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB) USSD code.
The code provides access to the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), a government initiative designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerian households.
The development comes amid the circulation of a social media message urging MTN subscribers who have not received the payment or whose eligibility status shows “NOT ELIGIBLE” to send “YES” to an unverified code, with a promise that the money would be credited within 24 hours.
However, MTN Nigeria Support has disowned the circulating instruction, warning subscribers that the message did not originate from the telecommunications company.
In a response to the post, MTN urged users to disregard the message and avoid clicking unverified links, disclosing personal information or making payments based on such instructions.
MTN Support wrote, “Please be informed that the information shared is not from MTN. Kindly disregard the message and do not click on any unverified links, share personal information, OTPs, PINs, passwords, or make any payments based on such messages.”
According to the official NERSI portal, beneficiaries are selected using verified National Identity Management Commission records and the National Social Register.
Selected beneficiaries are contacted through approved payment providers, including MoMo PSB, ALAT by Wema, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
For eligible MTN subscribers assigned to MoMo PSB, the following steps explain how to check their status and access the support.
How MTN users can check eligibility and receive the ₦50,000 support
1. Dial the USSD code
MTN subscribers can dial *671*0# from their registered phone numbers and follow the on-screen instructions to check their eligibility or payment status.
2. Accept the offer if selected
Subscribers who receive an official notification confirming their selection should follow the instructions provided in the message or through the USSD service to give their consent.
3. Respond to an official notification
If a genuine MoMo notification appears on the phone requesting acceptance of the support, beneficiaries should follow the instructions and select the appropriate option to confirm their consent.
4. Open a MoMo account
Beneficiaries who do not already have a MoMo wallet can dial *671# or download the official MoMo NG application to register.
5. Access the money
Once the ₦50,000 is credited, beneficiaries can access the funds through the MoMo application, USSD service or an authorised MoMo agent. They can also transfer the money to their bank accounts.
The Federal Government said beneficiaries would receive text messages from their designated payment providers requesting consent before the funds are transferred to their mobile wallets.
In an October 30 statement announcing the commencement of the intervention, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, said selected beneficiaries would receive ₦50,000 monthly to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of rising living costs.
“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,” Doro stated.
The minister stressed that beneficiaries were not required to apply, pay any fee or register through an agent to receive the financial assistance.
The ministry also warned Nigerians against disclosing their personal identification numbers and Bank Verification Numbers to unauthorised persons.
The NERSI portal further states that participation in the programme is free and that selected beneficiaries are contacted in batches.
It also provides that subscribers can use their designated payment providers’ USSD codes and select the eligibility-check option to confirm their status.
Those whose status shows “NOT SELECTED” are not necessarily permanently excluded, as payments are being made in phases. However, the government has not guaranteed that everyone excluded from the current batch will receive the support in subsequent phases.
For enquiries or complaints, beneficiaries can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or MoMo PSB customer support on 671.
