MTN subscribers selected for the Federal Government’s ₦50,000 monthly relief programme can check their eligibility and accept the support through the MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB) USSD code.
The designated code, 6710#, allows eligible users to check their status and follow the instructions for receiving the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
The programme is designed to provide financial assistance to poor and vulnerable Nigerian households amid rising living costs.
The development comes as fraudulent messages circulate on social media, advising MTN subscribers who have not received payments or whose eligibility status shows “NOT SELECTED” to send “YES” to an unverified code, with promises that the money would arrive within 24 hours.
MTN Nigeria Support has warned subscribers against the circulating instruction, saying it did not originate from the telecommunications company.
The company advised users not to click unverified links, disclose personal information, one-time passwords, PINs or passwords, or make payments based on suspicious messages.
In a warning shared in response to the circulating message, MTN Support said: “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.”
According to the official NERSI portal, beneficiaries are selected using verified national identity records and the National Social Register, with screening to identify poor and vulnerable households.
The Federal Government is working with five approved payment providers: ALAT by Wema, MoMo PSB, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint.
For MTN subscribers, MoMo PSB is the designated provider.
How MTN users can check eligibility and accept the grant
1. Dial the official USSD code
MTN subscribers can dial 6710# and follow the on-screen instructions. The official NERSI portal says users can select the eligibility-check option to find out whether they have been selected.
2. Accept the offer if selected
Beneficiaries will receive an SMS from their payment provider confirming their selection and providing instructions for accepting the support.
Subscribers should follow the instructions in the genuine notification. Payment is not made until the beneficiary gives consent.
3. Open a MoMo wallet if necessary
MTN users who do not already have a MoMo account can dial *671# to open one. The official MoMo PSB website also provides information about registering through its mobile application.
4. Access the money after payment
Once the ₦50,000 is credited, beneficiaries receive a confirmation message. They can access the funds through the MoMo application, USSD or an agent, and can transfer the money to a bank account.
The Federal Government announced the commencement of NERSI on October 30, 2026.
In a statement, 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 pressure of living costs.
Doro explained that beneficiaries would receive messages from approved payment providers requesting consent before the funds were transferred to their accounts or mobile wallets.
“Once consent is given, payment is made directly to the beneficiary’s account/mobile wallet,” the minister stated.
He stressed that beneficiaries were not required to submit applications, pay fees or register through agents to receive the support.
The ministry also warned Nigerians against sharing their PINs or Bank Verification Numbers with anyone.
What if your status says ‘NOT SELECTED’?
The NERSI portal explains that payments are being made in phases and that not all selected beneficiaries are contacted at the same time.
A “NOT SELECTED” status therefore does not necessarily mean a person has been permanently excluded from the programme. However, the government has not guaranteed that everyone who misses the current phase will receive the grant in a later batch.
The portal also warns that nobody can add a person to the beneficiary list or speed up payment in exchange for money.
For enquiries about the programme, beneficiaries can call the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222. MoMo PSB customers can contact the payment provider on 671 or 0803 106 7100.
Subscribers are advised to rely on official programme notifications and payment-provider channels rather than forwarded social media messages.
