The Federal Government has commenced a monthly cash relief programme, offering N50,000 to vulnerable households to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Mr Doro said the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, NERSI, is a presidential initiative aimed at providing immediate financial support to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.
He explained that the intervention was introduced in response to global food inflation and the rising cost of essential goods, which had continued to put pressure on household incomes.
“Under this intervention, eligible beneficiaries will receive N50,000 monthly, providing direct assistance to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of living costs,” he said.
The minister said 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 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 service providers seeking their consent before payments were made directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
Mr Doro emphasised that beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay fees or register through agents to access the intervention.
He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters, urging them 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 described NERSI 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 intervention aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the programme with dignity, transparency and accountability.
