The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, has said N132bn had been earmarked for providing financial services to women from the N220bn Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund.

The amount for women represents 60 per cent of the total fund.

The fund was inaugurated on August 15, 2013 and was aimed at channeling long-term, low-interest funds to the MSME sector of the
Nigerian economy through Participating Financial Institutions.

Speaking in Ilorin on Monday at a sensitisation workshop on MSMEDF, organised by CBN, Sanusi, who was represented by the Branch Controller, CBN, Ilorin, Mr. Monday Olotewo, said in operating the fund, special consideration would also be given to  institutions that would provide financial services to graduates of the CBN's Entrepreneurship Development Centres.

He added that the specific objective of the fund was to reach no fewer than  two million MSMEs in 10 years.