The Federal Government has partnered with digital financial services provider OPay to facilitate the disbursement of its proposed ₦50,000 monthly relief fund to eligible Nigerians under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention.
As reported by Vanguard, the initiative is designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable citizens struggling with economic hardship, with selected beneficiaries expected to receive ₦50,000 monthly to cushion the impact of rising living costs.
Under the arrangement, OPay will serve as one of the approved payment channels, allowing qualified customers to check their eligibility and access the funds through its mobile application or USSD platform.
To check their status, OPay customers are required to open the app and look out for a NERSI ₦50,000 relief fund notification on the homepage. Those who receive the notification can click on it and follow the instructions provided.
Alternatively, customers can dial \*955\*20# using the phone number linked to their OPay accounts to check whether they have been selected for the programme.
However, having an OPay account does not automatically make a customer eligible for the intervention. The Federal Government is responsible for identifying beneficiaries and determining who qualifies, while OPay only provides the payment infrastructure.
The government has also indicated that selected beneficiaries will receive text messages requesting their consent before the funds are disbursed. Eligible customers can subsequently receive their payments through their OPay accounts, subject to the programme's guidelines.
OPay has cautioned Nigerians against fraudsters seeking to exploit the relief initiative, warning customers not to disclose their personal identification numbers (PINs) or one-time passwords (OTPs), or pay anyone promising to secure the funds for them.
The company further advised prospective beneficiaries to avoid suspicious links and rely on official channels for information. Nigerians requiring clarification can contact the NERSI support line on 0700-022-2222. The relief programme does not require any registration or processing fee.
