The Federal Government has revealed the criteria it uses to pick Nigerians who will benefit from the N50,000 relief fund under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention, NERSI.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, had earlier announced the commencement of the payment.
The ministry clarified that the N50,000 is a grant, not a loan, stressing that beneficiaries are not expected to pay it back.
According to the ministry, the government said beneficiaries are not picked randomly but from two major government databases.
It said the first database was the National Identification Number, NIN.
“You must have a valid NIN issued by the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC. The NIN is used to confirm your identity and link you to the mobile wallet where the money will be paid,” it said.
The ministry said the second database is the National Social Register, NSR.
“You must be captured in the National Social Register. The register contains details of poor and vulnerable households across the country. It is coordinated by the National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office and contains information on more than 70 million Nigerians,” it added.
According to the ministry, the process starts with states identifying their poorest communities, noting that trained enumerators then work with community leaders and residents to identify vulnerable households.
It said the households are registered digitally and assessed based on poverty indicators, adding that those ranked within the bottom six deciles may qualify for the National Beneficiary Register, which is used for cash transfer programmes.
According to the ministry, being on the register, however, does not automatically mean one will get the money, stressing that beneficiaries must still undergo further screening to confirm they meet the poverty and vulnerability criteria.
The government said payments are being made in phases across the six geopolitical zones, without discrimination.
“Not everyone will be in the first batch. If you are not selected now, it does not mean you have been permanently excluded,” it said.
The government warned Nigerians to beware of scammers, stating that the programme is completely free and no official or agent is authorised to collect money to add anyone’s name to the beneficiary list.
