By Francis Igata

ENUGU — The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has released N500 million to the Enugu State Government to finance 1,600 micro enterprise borrowers recommended by Enugu Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs, Centre under the state Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Programme, MSMEDP.

The Special Adviser to Governor Sullivan Chime on SMEs, Mr. Anayo Agu, who disclosed this in a release, said the fund represented the first tranche of over 3500  potential beneficiaries of the Enugu State-CBN MSMEDP.

Agu said that the second tranche comprising of small and medium enterprise borrowers, was expected before the end of January 2015.

He noted that the release of the funds was a fulfilment of the promise by Governor Sullivan Chime to make capital available for small entrepreneurs to prosper and for rural farmers to grow.

Mr. Agu emphasised that the state SMEs loan was open to every entrepreneur in Enugu State irrespective of political affiliation, faith or state of origin.