Federal Government has commenced a monthly cash relief programme offering ₦50,000 to eligible vulnerable households across the country to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, announced this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Doro said the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) was a presidential initiative designed to provide immediate financial assistance to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.
He explained that the programme was introduced in response to global food inflation and the rising cost of essential goods, which have continued to put pressure on household incomes.
“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,” the minister said.
According to him, the programme would be reviewed regularly to reflect changes in the cost of living, with beneficiaries notified directly before any adjustment to the payments.
Doro said the ministry was collaborating with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure, timely and transparent disbursement of the funds.
He explained that beneficiaries would receive text messages from the approved providers requesting their consent before payments were made directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
The minister stressed that beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay fees or register through agents to access the intervention.
He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters seeking to exploit the programme, 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.
Doro described the intervention as complementary to existing Federal Government social protection and economic support programmes, noting that it was designed to strengthen household resilience and promote economic stability.
He added that the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the programme with dignity, transparency and accountability.
