Opay, Moniepoint Explain How FG Picks N50,000 Monthly Cash Support Beneficiaries

The Federal Government selects beneficiaries for its N50,000 monthly cash support using verified national identity records and the National Social Register. Payment partners Moniepoint and OPay have clarified that they do not determine who qualifies for the intervention.

The clarification comes amid growing interest in the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), which provides financial assistance to vulnerable households struggling with rising living costs. The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction says the records are screened to identify poor and vulnerable households eligible for the support. Selection is based on need, with beneficiaries drawn from all six geopolitical zones, regardless of religion, ethnicity or political affiliation. Nigerians cannot submit applications or pay agents to secure a place on the beneficiary list.

How to check eligibility

Moniepoint said beneficiary selection is handled by the Federal Government through its eligibility criteria and verification processes. Customers can check their status by dialling *5573*27# from their registered phone numbers and selecting the eligibility-check option. Confirmed beneficiaries will receive instructions on accepting the support and accessing the funds through their Moniepoint accounts. The company said the process requires no additional payment, documentation or third-party intervention.

OPay, in a statement on its official X account, said eligible customers will see a notification on its app homepage, which they should click to access further instructions. Customers can also dial *955*20# to check eligibility. OPay warned against individuals requesting personal identification numbers (PINs), one-time passwords (OTPs) or payments to facilitate the grant.

Five payment providers

The Federal Government approved five payment providers for the N50,000 cash support: ALAT by Wema Bank (dial 94523#), MoMo PSB (dial 6710#), NairaGram (dial 72600#), OPay (dial 95520# or check the app) and Moniepoint (dial 557327# or check the app).

Selected beneficiaries will receive SMS notifications from their payment providers and must give consent before the money is credited to their mobile wallets. Payments are being made in batches, so eligible Nigerians may not receive notifications at the same time. Those not selected in the current phase will get a notification that they are not currently eligible. The ministry warned against paying anyone who promises to secure a place on the list or accelerate payments. It advised citizens to contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222.

Related development

The Bank of Industry (BOI) launched a digital platform called MyBOI, which allows Nigerian businesses to apply for financing, complete onboarding and monitor loan applications from start to finish without visiting a branch. BOI described the portal as part of its Credit Process Re-engineering and Automation Initiative, built to tackle manual paperwork, multiple customer touchpoints and slow turnaround times that left applicants with little visibility into their applications.