HOW MTN USERS CAN CHECK ELIGIBILITY FOR FG’S N50,000 MONTHLY RELIEF PROGRAMME

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

MTN subscribers selected for the Federal Government’s N50,000 monthly relief programme can check their eligibility and accept the support through the MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB) USSD code.

The code provides access to the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), a programme designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerian households.

The guidance comes amid the circulation of a social media message advising MTN subscribers who have not received payments or whose eligibility status shows “NOT ELIGIBLE” to send “YES” to an unverified code, with a promise that the money would be paid within 24 hours.

However, MTN Nigeria Support has disowned the circulating instruction, warning subscribers that it did not originate from the telecommunications company.

In a response to the message, MTN Support urged users to disregard the instruction and avoid clicking on unverified links, sharing personal information, one-time passwords (OTPs), personal identification numbers (PINs) or passwords, or making payments based on such messages.

“Please be informed that the information shared is not from MTN. Kindly disregard the message and do not click on any unverified links, share personal information, OTPs, PINs, passwords, or make any payments based on such messages,” the company said.

According to the official NERSI portal, beneficiaries are selected using verified national identity records and the National Social Register.

The programme works with approved payment providers, including MoMo PSB, ALAT by Wema, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint. MTN subscribers are directed to MoMo PSB for payments.

How MTN subscribers can check their eligibility and accept the support

1. Dial the USSD code: Subscribers can dial 6710# from their registered phone numbers and follow the on-screen instructions to check their eligibility or payment status.

2. Accept the offer if selected: Subscribers who receive an official notification confirming their selection should follow the instructions in the message or use the USSD code to give their consent.

3. Respond to an official notification: If a genuine MoMo notification appears on the phone requesting acceptance of the support, the recipient should follow the prompt and select the appropriate option to give consent.

4. Open a MoMo account: Beneficiaries without a MoMo wallet can dial *671# or download the official MoMo NG application to register.

5. Access the funds: Once the ₦50,000 is credited, beneficiaries can access the money through the MoMo application, USSD or a MoMo agent. They can also transfer the funds to a bank account.

The Federal Government said beneficiaries would receive an SMS from their payment providers requesting consent before the money is transferred to their mobile wallets.

In an October 30 statement announcing the commencement of the intervention, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, said eligible beneficiaries would receive ₦50,000 monthly to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of rising living costs.

“Beneficiaries will receive an SMS from one of these providers asking for their consent. This message is genuine. Once consent is given, payment is made directly to the beneficiary’s account/mobile wallet,” Doro stated.

The minister said beneficiaries were not required to apply, pay any fee or register through an agent to receive the support.

The ministry also warned Nigerians against sharing their PINs and Bank Verification Numbers with anyone.

The official NERSI portal states that the programme is free and that selected beneficiaries are contacted in batches. It also provides an option for users to dial their payment provider’s code and select the eligibility-check option.

Subscribers whose status shows “NOT SELECTED” are not necessarily permanently excluded, as payments are being made in phases. However, the government has not guaranteed that everyone not selected in the current phase will receive the support in a subsequent batch.

For enquiries or complaints, beneficiaries can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or MoMo PSB customer support on 671.