FG’s N50,000 Grant: How Moniepoint, OPay, Others Identify Eligible Phone Numbers
- The Federal Government selects NERSI beneficiaries; Moniepoint and OPay only help verify eligibility and deliver payments
- Phone numbers help check eligibility, but account ownership does not qualify Nigerians for the ₦50,000 relief grant
- Payments are being made in phases, and a “NOT SELECTED” result applies to the current phase, not necessarily future ones
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
As Nigerians seek access to the Federal Government's ₦50,000 relief grant, attention is shifting from the digital platforms handling payments to a more pressing question: how are beneficiaries' phone numbers selected?
The question has become increasingly important as Moniepoint, OPay and other financial service providers provide channels through which customers can check their eligibility for the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI).
Source: Getty Images
However, having an account with a participating institution does not automatically qualify a customer for the payment.
The distinction between identifying beneficiaries and delivering funds is central to understanding how the intervention works.
How eligible phone numbers are identified
The selection process is intended to target vulnerable Nigerians rather than reward customers for using particular banking applications.
Under Nigeria's social protection framework, government beneficiary databases, including the National Social Register, provide a mechanism for identifying households considered economically vulnerable.
Such records may contain identifying and contact information used to match beneficiaries with payment channels.
A phone number can therefore serve as a means of checking an individual's eligibility, but it is not necessarily the basis on which that person was selected.
Importantly, the precise criteria used to compile the NERSI payment list, including whether every recipient was drawn from the National Social Register, require specific official confirmation.
Why some registered customers may miss out
A Nigerian may operate accounts with Moniepoint, OPay or other participating platforms without appearing among approved beneficiaries.
This is because account ownership, transaction history and access to USSD services do not independently establish eligibility for government assistance.
Likewise, an unsuccessful eligibility check does not necessarily mean the customer's bank account is defective or that the individual has been permanently excluded from future interventions.
Discrepancies involving registered phone numbers, identity records and payment information could also complicate verification, although the programme's specific procedures for resolving such cases have not been fully established publicly.
What Moniepoint and OPay clarified
Moniepoint Microfinance Bank has confirmed that beneficiary selection rests with the Federal Government, while participating financial institutions facilitate verification and payment.
The bank explained that customers can check their status using registered phone numbers, with successful beneficiaries guided through the acceptance process.
OPay similarly clarified that customers selected for the intervention would see a notification on its application, stressing that the company does not determine eligibility.
The explanations reinforce an important distinction: financial institutions deliver the assistance, but government records determine who receives it.
What happens to beneficiaries' personal information
According to the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, beneficiaries' phone numbers are obtained from the National Social Register and verified national identity records.
The ministry says the information is shared with designated payment providers solely to facilitate disbursement, subject to protections under the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
Selected recipients must also consent before the ministry processes payment.
This means Nigerians do not need to submit new applications or share sensitive banking credentials with agents promising inclusion.
Why payments may arrive at different times
The Federal Government says the programme covers all six geopolitical zones, but payments are being implemented in phases.
Consequently, two people living in the same community may receive different eligibility responses.
Source: Getty Images
A customer whose status reads "NOT SELECTED" has not been approved for the current payment phase, although subsequent selection remains possible.
The ministry has not guaranteed that every person awaiting notification will eventually receive the grant.
For Nigerians concerned about exclusion, the central issue is therefore not which payment application they use, but whether their information appears in the government's approved beneficiary records.
How to access FG’s N50,000 grant across 5 platforms
Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerians seeking financial relief from the federal government's ₦50,000 grant programme now have several digital channels through which they can check their eligibility and access approved payments without visiting a government office.
The initiative, known as the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), is designed to support vulnerable households struggling with rising living costs and other economic pressures.
Source: Legit.ng
