Funds available to SMEs in Nigeria

BoI Funds

You can get cheap or single-digit funds (often at nine percent lending rate) from the Bank of Industry (BoI).

The BoI has a number of funds that entrepreneurs of all levels can access. First is the Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (GEF), which is meant for serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Candidates are allowed to submit their business ideas, which are then reviewed by a team of experts. The NYSC members whose ideas are marketable and bankable are then selected, trained for four weeks and then given between N500,000 and N2 million.

Recently, the bank said eligible corps members could access loan interest free.

Also, there is the Cottage Agro Processing (CAP) Fund for small and medium agro processors.

GN Special Intervention Fund for MSMEs

The Fund is a Federal Government initiative to provide subsidized loans to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) at single digit (9% per annum) all inclusive interest rate. The Fund is also to cater for applications received from SMEDAN under the National Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) Scheme.

Lagos State Employment Trust Fund

Lagos State has N25 billion to support SMEs. The fund is divided into two categories; micro and small businesses. Under the micro, businesses can access up to N500, 000 loans with an interest rate of five percent and a tenor of one year. For the small business category, businesses can get up to N5 million for a tenor of three years. The criteria for accessing the funds include: membership of a business organisation, which will recommend the business for the loan; Lagos State tax receipt for at least six months, and Lagos state residency card. This takes three weeks for processing.

Social Intervention Fund of FG

A total of N6 billion was allocated under the Social Intervention Fund of the 2017 budget. The criteria for accessing the fund include membership of a business organisation. The fund is for artisans and owners of micro businesses. The artisans or business owners can only access a maximum of N100, 000 at three percent interest rate on a year tenor.