FG explains delay in N50,000 relief alerts, warns against agents charging fees
- The Federal Government says N50,000 relief payments are going out in batches, so some selected people will get their text messages later.
- It says nobody can pay to be added to the beneficiary list or to speed up payment.
- The grant is drawn from the National Social Register and verified identity records, and is not a loan.
Some Nigerians selected for the Federal Government's N50,000 relief grant have not yet received the text message telling them so, and the government says that does not mean they have been dropped.
In answers published on the programme's website and seen on Thursday, the government said the payments are going out in phases and payment providers are contacting beneficiaries in batches. A message may simply be running late, it said.
The scheme, the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, is run by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to help households cope with the rising cost of living. Each selected person gets N50,000, paid into a mobile wallet.
How to check your name
Anyone unsure of their status can dial the USSD code of their payment provider and pick the option to check eligibility. Those not on the current list will be told: "You are currently not selected to receive this relief support."
The government also made clear that not everyone will be selected in the current phase. The scheme is designed to support a limited number of households at a time.
Five providers are handling the payments: ALAT, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint. Beneficiaries are picked from the National Social Register and verified national identity records. The government said people cannot apply, and selection is based on need across the six geopolitical zones, without regard to religion, ethnicity or party.
Once a message arrives, the recipient must accept the offer using the USSD instructions in it before the money lands in the wallet. The N50,000 is a grant, not a loan, and does not have to be paid back.
Warning on fraudsters
The government warned that anyone offering, for a fee, to put a name on the list or hurry a payment is a fraudster. It said accepting the offer, receiving the money and replying to programme messages are all free.
Beneficiaries were also told never to share their PIN, one-time password or Bank Verification Number with anyone who claims to be helping with their payment.
