MTN subscribers seeking to confirm whether they have been selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 monthly financial assistance can check their eligibility through a dedicated USSD service provided by MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB).
The service allows subscribers to check their beneficiary status under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) and respond to consent requests if they have been selected.
The Federal Government introduced the intervention to support financially vulnerable Nigerians struggling with the rising cost of living, with payments being distributed in batches through approved financial service providers.
How to check eligibility for FG’s ₦50,000 support through MTN
MTN subscribers can use the designated MoMo USSD service to check whether they have been selected for the monthly financial assistance.
After dialling the service code, subscribers should follow the instructions displayed on their screens to check their eligibility status.
Those confirmed as beneficiaries may be required to provide consent before the funds are transferred to their MoMo wallets.
Beneficiaries who do not already have a MoMo wallet can register by dialling *671# or downloading the official MoMo NG application.
Once the payment is received, recipients can access their funds through the MoMo application, USSD service or authorised MoMo agents. They can also transfer the money to their bank accounts.
FG explains how selected Nigerians will receive ₦50,000 payments
The Federal Government has clarified that selected beneficiaries will be contacted directly by their designated payment providers.
In an announcement issued on October 30, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, explained that beneficiaries would receive text messages requesting their consent before payments are processed.
According to the minister, the intervention will provide eligible Nigerians with ₦50,000 monthly to help them meet basic needs and cope with the rising cost of living.
“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 approved payment platforms include MoMo PSB, ALAT by Wema, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
According to the NERSI portal, beneficiary identification is based on verified national identity records and the National Social Register.
The government has also clarified that interested Nigerians are not required to submit separate applications, pay registration fees or use intermediaries to access the assistance.
MTN warns subscribers against fake ₦50,000 support messages
Amid the rollout of the financial assistance, fraudulent messages targeting MTN subscribers have also begun circulating.
One misleading message reportedly tells customers whose eligibility status shows “NOT ELIGIBLE” to send “YES” to an unofficial code, claiming that doing so would guarantee payment within 24 hours.
However, MTN Nigeria Support has distanced itself from the instruction, warning subscribers that the message did not originate from the telecommunications company.
The network provider advised customers to disregard the information and avoid suspicious links or requests for confidential details.
In its response, MTN Support stated:
“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 Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction has similarly cautioned Nigerians against disclosing their banking PINs and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to individuals claiming to facilitate the payments.
Beneficiaries are advised to rely only on official government communications and approved payment providers.
Will Nigerians marked NOT SELECTED receive the ₦50,000 support?
Nigerians whose NERSI eligibility status currently shows “NOT SELECTED” may still want to monitor official announcements about subsequent payment batches.
The NERSI portal explains that the distribution is taking place in phases, with selected beneficiaries contacted at different stages of the exercise.
Therefore, receiving a “NOT SELECTED” notification does not necessarily mean that an individual has been permanently excluded from the intervention.
However, the government has not guaranteed that everyone who misses the current batch will automatically qualify for a subsequent payment.
The assistance is free, and beneficiaries should avoid anyone demanding money or promising guaranteed selection.
For enquiries and clarification, Nigerians can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or reach MoMo PSB customer support by dialling 671.
Subscribers should also remain cautious of unsolicited messages claiming to offer guaranteed access to the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 monthly financial assistance.