FG’s N50,000 Grant: OPay Explains How Nigerians Can Confirm Selection and Receive Payment

• OPay customers can check their N50,000 grant selection through the app or by dialling 95520#
• Beneficiaries will be notified in batches and must consent before payment is sent to their mobile wallets
• The government says the grant is free and warns Nigerians against agents demanding fees or asking for account details

Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.

Nigerians awaiting the Federal Government’s N50,000 relief grant can now check their selection status through OPay, as fresh details emerge on how beneficiaries will be notified and receive payments.

The financial technology company is among the payment providers facilitating disbursements under the National Emergency Relief and Stabilisation Intervention (NERSI), a government programme targeting vulnerable households.

The initiative, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, provides N50,000 to selected Nigerians to cushion the impact of economic hardship.

However, authorities have clarified that owning an OPay account does not automatically guarantee selection.

Beneficiaries are identified through verified national identity records and the National Social Register, rather than through applications submitted directly to payment providers.

How OPay customers can check eligibility

OPay customers can verify their selection status through the company's mobile application or USSD service.

Smartphone users should log in to the official OPay application and check for notifications relating to the Federal Government's N50,000 intervention.

Where a notification appears, customers can follow the displayed instructions to confirm their status and complete any required acceptance process.

Alternatively, customers without internet access can dial *955*20# using the telephone number linked to their OPay accounts.

They should follow the prompts and select the eligibility-check option, where available.

The service allows customers to check their status without visiting a physical banking location.

What happens after beneficiaries receive confirmation

According to information published on the NERSI programme portal, successful beneficiaries will receive an SMS from their designated payment provider.

For OPay customers, the notification should contain instructions for accepting the financial assistance.

Recipients must provide consent before disbursement can proceed.

Their mobile wallets will subsequently be activated or linked to their registered telephone numbers and National Identification Numbers.

However, receiving a selection notification does not necessarily mean payment has been completed.

Beneficiaries are expected to receive a separate confirmation once the N50,000 has been credited.

They can also verify payment through their wallet balances and transaction histories.

FG explains delays in grant payments

Meanwhile, Nigerians who have not received selection messages have been advised against assuming they have been permanently excluded.

The Federal Government explained that beneficiaries are being contacted in batches, with payments processed in phases, Leadership reports.

Consequently, some eligible individuals may receive notifications later than others.

Nevertheless, authorities stressed that selection is limited and that individuals excluded from the current phase are not guaranteed payment in subsequent rounds.

Government warns against fraudulent grant agents

The government has also warned Nigerians against individuals demanding money to facilitate selection or accelerate disbursement.

NERSI is a grant, not a loan, meaning successful beneficiaries are not required to repay the N50,000.

No registration or processing fee is required.

OPay customers should avoid suspicious links and never disclose their account PINs, passwords or one-time passwords to anyone claiming to represent the programme.

How Moniepoint, OPay, others verify eligible numbers

Legit.ng previously reported that 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).