Enugu has imposed a N150m advertising fee for political campaigns.
Glamtush reports that the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency have announced a mandatory ₦150m advertising permit fee for political parties and candidates participating in the 2026 local government and 2027 general elections.
The General Manager of the agency, Mr. Francis Aninwike, made this disclosure during a management meeting held at the agency’s headquarters in Enugu on Monday.
Aninwike, according to a statement issued by Peter Mbah’s media office, said the directive is in line with the agency’s statutory mandate to regulate outdoor advertising and ensure environmental aesthetics across the 17 local government areas of the state.
He explained that the fee would grant parties the right to deploy campaign materials, including banners, branded vehicles, T-shirts, and handbills, as well as conduct street campaigns and rallies.
The statement read in part, “Every political party and candidate must obtain a campaign permit from ENSSAA before deploying any form of visual campaign or outdoor promotional materials. The statutory fee for the permit is ₦150m, payable to the Enugu State Government account.”
The ENSSAA boss noted that the measure was designed to prevent visual pollution, protect public infrastructure, and maintain professional standards during the electioneering period.
Aninwike further warned that any party or candidate that failed to comply with the directive would have their campaign materials removed and may face legal sanctions.
He also clarified that only practitioners registered and licensed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria are authorised to manage billboards or campaign structures in the state.
“No individual, political party, or support group is permitted to erect billboards or advertisement structures in any part of Enugu State without going through licensed ARCON practitioners as permitted by ENSSAA,” he stated.
Addressing concerns about possible bias, Aninwike insisted that the guidelines would apply uniformly to all candidates, including incumbents.
He said that Governor Peter Mbah had consistently complied with the state’s advertising regulations in his previous and current official activities.
The agency also cautioned supporters against defacing the campaign materials of opponents, describing such acts as undemocratic and punishable under the law.
