MTN subscribers seeking to access the Federal Government’s N50,000 monthly relief grant can check their eligibility by dialling a designated USSD code, but the telecommunications company has warned users against fraudulent messages promising automatic payments.
The warning comes as scammers circulate messages urging subscribers whose status shows “NOT ELIGIBLE” or who have yet to receive payment to send “YES” to an unverified code in exchange for the grant within 24 hours.
MTN Nigeria Support has disowned the instruction, describing it as fake and advising customers to disregard it.
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In a warning posted in response to the circulating message, the company 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.”
The Federal Government’s National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention is designed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable households, with selected beneficiaries expected to receive N50,000 monthly.
For MTN subscribers, MoMo Payment Service Bank (MoMo PSB) is the designated payment provider.
According to the official NERSI portal, beneficiaries are selected using verified national identity records and the National Social Register.
Other approved payment providers include ALAT by Wema, NairaGram, OPay, and Moniepoint.
MTN users can follow these steps to check their eligibility and access the grant.
Dial the eligibility-check code
Dial the eligibility-check code
Subscribers should dial 6710# from the phone number registered for the programme and follow the instructions displayed on the screen to check their eligibility or payment status.
Accept the offer if selected
Accept the offer if selected
Subscribers who receive an official notification confirming their selection should follow the instructions in the message or use the USSD code to give consent.
The government says payment providers will send beneficiaries SMS notifications requesting their approval before the money is transferred to their mobile wallets.
Respond to an official MoMo notification
Respond to an official MoMo notification
Where a genuine MoMo notification or pop-up appears on the phone requesting consent to receive the support, the beneficiary should follow the prompt and select the appropriate option.
Open a MoMo wallet
Open a MoMo wallet
Beneficiaries without an existing MoMo wallet can dial *671# or download the official MoMo NG application to register.
Withdraw or transfer the money
Withdraw or transfer the money
Once the N50,000 is credited, beneficiaries can access the funds through the MoMo application, USSD service or a MoMo agent. The money can also be transferred to a bank account.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, had announced the commencement of the intervention in an October 30 statement.
He said the monthly payment was intended to help eligible Nigerians meet essential needs and reduce the pressure of rising 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 did not need to apply, pay any fee or register through an agent to receive the grant.
The ministry also warned Nigerians against disclosing their personal identification numbers and Bank Verification Numbers to anyone claiming to facilitate payment.
The NERSI portal similarly states that the programme is free and that selected beneficiaries are being contacted in batches. It advises users to dial their respective payment providers’ codes and select the eligibility-check option.
Subscribers whose status reads “NOT SELECTED” should understand that payments are being made in phases. However, the government has not guaranteed that everyone excluded from the current batch will receive the grant in a subsequent phase.
For complaints and enquiries, beneficiaries can contact the NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 or MoMo PSB customer support on 671.
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Catherine Igwe is a Digital Journalist at Galaxy Television. She has over half a decade of experience in SEO content writing, digital marketing, and online publishing, creating engaging, search-optimised content for diverse audiences.
