The Federal Government has provided details on how Nigerians are selected to receive its N50,000 cash assistance under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The clarification follows the ongoing disbursement of the relief fund, with many Nigerians seeking information about the eligibility requirements and how recipients are identified.
According to information published on the NERSI website of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, beneficiaries are drawn from verified national identity records and the National Social Register (NSR), before undergoing screening to identify poor and vulnerable households.
The National Identification Number (NIN), issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), is used to establish an individual’s identity and is connected to the mobile wallet through which selected recipients receive their payments.
The National Social Register, on the other hand, contains information on poor and vulnerable households across the country and is coordinated by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO).
NASSCO disclosed that the register contains information on more than 70 million Nigerians.
According to the agency, the registration process begins with state governments identifying their poorest local government areas and communities. Trained registration teams subsequently work with residents and community leaders to identify households considered vulnerable.
The selected households are registered digitally and assessed using established poverty indicators. Those ranked within the bottom six deciles may qualify for inclusion in the National Beneficiary Register, which supports social intervention programmes, including cash transfers.
The NERSI website explained that registration with both NIMC and the National Social Register is required before an individual can be considered for the N50,000 relief payment.
However, the agency did not provide additional information about the specific screening requirements used to determine the final list of beneficiaries.
It also warned Nigerians against paying anyone or attempting to apply for inclusion in the programme, stressing that the selection process is not open to paid applications.
The website stated that individuals cannot pay to be included in the beneficiary list and clarified that not everyone would receive payment during the first phase. It added that the personal information collected would only be used for the programme.
The Humanitarian Assistance Programme is a Federal Government initiative designed to provide financial support to poor and vulnerable households during difficult economic circumstances. Payments are made through mobile wallets.
Under the scheme, successful beneficiaries receive a grant of N50,000, which does not require repayment.
The government also maintained that selection is determined by the level of need and covers all six geopolitical zones, without discrimination based on religion, ethnicity or political affiliation.
Payments are being made in batches, meaning selected beneficiaries may not receive notifications or payments at the same time.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, had earlier announced the commencement of the disbursement in a statement released on October 30.
Nigerians can check their eligibility through the approved payment providers using the following USSD codes:
- ALAT by Wema: 94523#
- MoMo PSB: 6710#
- NairaGram: 72600#
- OPay: 95520#
- Moniepoint: 557327#
Source: PUNCH
