CBN to Commence N50bn COVID-19 Intervention Fund Disbursement

Barring any last-minute change in plans, the disbursement of the first tranche of the Central Bank of Nigeria N50bn targeted credit facility would begin on Thursday.

The fund, which is being managed by the NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, has received over 80,000 applications.

Abubakar Kure, the Managing Director, NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, confirmed the development in a telephone interview.

Kure, who did not provide the amount to be disbursed in the first tranche, said that those whose applications were successful would start receiving their fund on Thursday.

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He said, “But we are hopeful that towards Thursday or Friday, the disbursement of the fund would commence.”

The CBN had introduced the N50bn Targeted Credit Facility as a stimulus package to support households and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The N50bn intervention is being financed from the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.

In terms of limit, the loan amount would be determined based on the activity, cash flow and industry size of beneficiary, subject to a maximum of N25m for SMEs.

Households can access a maximum of N3m while working capital would be a maximum of 25 per cent of the average of the previous three years’ annual turnover.

Based on the guidelines released by the CBN, those that can benefit from the fund are households with verifiable evidence of livelihood adversely impacted by COVID-19; existing enterprises with verifiable evidence of business activities adversely affected as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and enterprises with ban.