The Federal Government has commenced a monthly cash relief programme offering N50,000 to vulnerable households to cushion the impact of rising living costs.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, announced the initiative in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.

Doro said the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI) was a presidential initiative designed to provide immediate financial assistance to millions of vulnerable Nigerians.

He explained that the programme was introduced in response to global food inflation and the rising cost of essential goods, which continue to put pressure on households.

“Under this intervention, eligible beneficiaries will receive N50,000 monthly, providing direct assistance to help meet essential needs and ease the burden of living costs,” the minister said.

Doro noted that the programme would be reviewed regularly in response to changes in the cost of living, adding that beneficiaries would be notified directly before any adjustments were made.

He said the ministry was working with licensed digital financial service providers to ensure secure, prompt and transparent delivery of the funds.

According to him, beneficiaries would receive text messages from the service providers seeking their consent before payments are made directly into their bank accounts or mobile wallets.

The minister stressed that beneficiaries were not required to apply, pay any fees or register through agents to access the intervention.

He also warned Nigerians against fraudsters, advising beneficiaries not to disclose their Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to anyone.

“If you are unsure about any message, or anyone asks you for money, call the official NERSI helpline on 0700-022-2222,” he said.

Doro described NERSI as a complement to existing Federal Government social protection and economic support programmes, aimed at strengthening household resilience and economic stability.

He added that the intervention aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to implementing the programme with dignity, transparency and accountability.