The Federal Government has launched a monthly cash relief programme offering ₦50,000 to vulnerable households to help cushion the effects of rising living costs.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Bernard Doro, announced the initiative in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Doro said the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) was a presidential initiative aimed at providing immediate financial assistance to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.
He explained that the programme was introduced in response to global food inflation and rising prices of essential goods, which continue to put pressure on households.
“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,” he said.
The minister said the programme would be reviewed regularly to reflect changes in the cost of living, with beneficiaries notified directly before any adjustments.
He added that the ministry was working with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure, timely and transparent payments.
According to him, beneficiaries would receive text messages from the providers seeking their consent before the funds were paid directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.
Doro stressed that beneficiaries did not need to apply, pay any fees or register through agents to access the intervention.
He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters, advising 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.
The minister said NERSI would complement existing Federal Government social protection and economic support programmes while strengthening household resilience and 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.
