FG N50,000 Relief: How MTN Users Can Check Eligibility Through MoMo USSD Code

MTN subscribers selected for the Federal Government’s N50,000 monthly relief programme can check their eligibility and accept the financial support through the MoMo Payment Service Bank (PSB) USSD code.

The programme, known as the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), is designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households struggling with the rising cost of living.

The guidance comes amid the circulation of a fraudulent social media message asking MTN subscribers who have not received the payment or whose status shows “NOT ELIGIBLE” to send “YES” to an unofficial code, with a promise that the money would be paid within 24 hours.

MTN Nigeria Support has dismissed the circulating instruction, warning subscribers that it did not originate from the telecommunications company.

In a response to the message, MTN urged users to avoid clicking unverified links, sharing personal information, one-time passwords, PINs or passwords, or making payments based on suspicious instructions.

“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 company stated.

According to the official NERSI portal, beneficiaries are selected using verified national identity records and the National Social Register.

The programme works with approved payment providers, including MoMo PSB, ALAT by Wema, NairaGram, OPay and Moniepoint. MTN subscribers are directed to use MoMo PSB to access the support.

How MTN users can check their eligibility

MTN subscribers can follow these steps to check their status and access the relief payment:

Dial the USSD code: Dial 6710# from the phone number registered for the programme and follow the instructions to check eligibility or payment status.

Accept the offer: If selected, follow the instructions in the official notification or through the USSD menu to give consent.

Respond to an official notification: Beneficiaries who receive a genuine MoMo notification asking them to accept the support should follow the prompt and select the appropriate option.

Open a MoMo wallet: Selected beneficiaries without a MoMo wallet can dial *671# or download the official MoMo NG application to register.

Access the payment: Once the ₦50,000 is credited, recipients can access the money through the MoMo application, USSD or a MoMo agent. They can also transfer the funds to a bank account.

The Federal Government said beneficiaries would receive an SMS from their designated payment providers requesting consent before the money was transferred to their mobile wallets.

In a statement issued on October 30 announcing the commencement of the intervention, 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 reduce the pressure of living costs.

“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 minister 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 disclosing their PINs and Bank Verification Numbers to unauthorised persons.

The NERSI portal states that the programme is free and that selected beneficiaries are contacted in batches. It also provides an eligibility-check option through the respective payment providers.

Subscribers whose status shows “NOT SELECTED” should note that payments are being made in phases. However, the government has not guaranteed that everyone excluded from the current batch will receive the support in a subsequent round.

For enquiries or complaints, beneficiaries can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or MoMo PSB customer support on 671.