Fact Check: FGN NERSI ₦50,000 relief SMS is genuine - Announced Oct 30 2026 by Minister Bernard Doro - For millions of vulnerable households - Official helpline 07000222222 - Dial _671_0# to accept if you got SMS - No fee, no BVN, no PIN.
*PUBLIC AWARENESS: HOW MANY PERSONS RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE AND HOW TRUE IS IT?*
*Relief! FGN has selected you to receive ₦50,000 under NERSI to help with living costs. This is FREE. Enq? Call 07000222222. Dial _671_0# to accept*
Many Nigerians have received this SMS. Is it real? We fact-checked it for you.
*THIS MESSAGE IS GENUINE - BUT IT IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY. IT IS SELECTIVE.*
That is the new Federal Government programme called *NERSI - National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention* (also reported as National Economic Relief & Social Intervention) - announced on *30th October 2026* by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, *Dr Bernard Doro*.
*Here is the true breakdown:*
✅ *FG has started sending ₦50,000 living-cost support* to vulnerable households. The Minister said: "This message is genuine. Once consent is given, payment is made directly to beneficiary's account/mobile wallet"
✅ *Official helpline is 07000222222* - the same number in your SMS. This is FG's official NERSI helpline
✅ *The USSD code _671_0# is the official code* for *MoMo PSB*, one of the approved payment providers. Other official codes are _945_23# for ALAT and _726_00# for NairaGram.
✅ *How many received it?* FG said it is for *"millions of vulnerable households"* under President Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda. It is being sent in *phases/batches*, so not everyone gets it at the same time. If you are in the National Social Register or you did NSR enumeration before, you are more likely to get it.
*IMPORTANT - HOW TO KNOW REAL VS SCAM:*
- *You do NOT need to apply, pay any fee, or pay any agent.* FG warned: "beneficiaries not required to apply, pay fees or register through agents"
- *NEVER share your PIN, BVN, password or OTP.* FG warned: "warned Nigerians against disclosing their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs)"
- *Dialing the code is FREE.* If anyone asks you to pay ₦1,000 to ₦5,000 to "activate your NERSI", it is a fraudster
- If you are in doubt, call the official NERSI helpline *07000222222* or check https://fmhapr.gov.ng/nersi/
*So:*
- If you got SMS directly from a network provider asking for consent, dial _671_0# to accept. It is real.
- If you did NOT get SMS and someone forwarded a WhatsApp link to you to register, that link is SCAM. There is *no public registration portal* - beneficiaries are selected from existing government records
*Please share this Public Awareness to save people from scammers!*
This article originally appeared on Imo Media Hub.
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