The Federal Government has commenced a monthly cash assistance program offering N50,000 to vulnerable households to cushion the effects of rising living costs.
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 Stabilization Intervention (NERSI) was 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 continue 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 noted that 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.
He said the ministry was partnering with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure, timely and transparent disbursement of the funds.
According to him, selected beneficiaries would receive text messages from the service providers seeking their consent before the money is paid directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
Doro stressed that beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay fees or register through agents to access the intervention.
He warned Nigerians to be wary of fraudsters, advising beneficiaries against disclosing 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 said NERSI would complement existing Federal Government social protection and economic support programs while strengthening household resilience and economic stability.
He added that the intervention was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to implementing the program with dignity, transparency and accountability.
