OPay has clarified how its clients can determine whether they are eligible for the Federal Government’s monthly N50,000 financial assistance for Nigerians in need, cautioning that only eligible recipients will receive the payment.
According to the digital financial services company, qualified clients would see a pop-up message on the homepage of the OPay app, which they would have to click in order to continue.
Customers who were unable to view the notification on their apps were not eligible for the intervention, the business explained in a post on its X handle on Tuesday, emphasising that it did not assess beneficiaries’ eligibility.
OPay stated, “The ₦50,000 monthly Federal Government cash support is available only to eligible citizens. Eligible customers will see a pop-up notification on their OPay app homepage. Kindly click on the pop-up to proceed with the next steps.
“Kindly note that customers who are unable to see the feature on the app are not eligible for it. Please note that we do not determine your eligibility. Kindly contact NERSI at 07000222222 for assistance.”
The fintech also warned customers against fraudsters, stressing that it would never request their personal identification numbers or one-time passwords to process payments under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention.
“OPay will never ask for your PIN or OTP to process a NERSI relief payment. Do not pay any agent or click unverified links,” it said.
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The company advised customers to use only its official mobile application or the USSD code *955*20# to check their eligibility.
OPay’s clarification followed a post by an X user who shared information about the support and listed USSD codes through which customers of participating financial service providers could check their eligibility as public interest around the scheme gains momentum.
The Federal Government had announced the commencement of the disbursement under its NERSI, a presidential initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to vulnerable households.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, disclosed the commencement of the programme in an October 30 statement, saying eligible beneficiaries would receive N50,000 monthly to help meet essential needs and cushion the effects of rising living costs.
Eligible beneficiaries will receive ₦50,000 monthly, with the programme to be reviewed regularly.
According to the minister, the ministry is partnering with licensed digital financial service providers for secure and transparent disbursement.
Beneficiaries receive an SMS seeking consent before payment is made directly to their account or mobile wallet.
Approved providers and USSD codes include ALAT by Wema (*945*23#), MoMo PSB (*671*0#), NairaGram (*726*00#), OPay (*955*20#) and Moniepoint (*557*327#).
Doro emphasised that no application, fee or registration through agents is required, and warned against fraudsters. He urged Nigerians not to share PINs or BVNs and to contact the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222 if unsure about any message.
