The Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency has announced a mandatory ₦150 million 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, disclosed this during a management meeting held at the agency’s headquarters in Enugu on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the media office of Governor Peter Mbah, the directive aligns with the agency’s statutory mandate to regulate outdoor advertising and maintain environmental aesthetics across the 17 local government areas of the state.
Aninwike explained that the fee grants political parties and candidates the right to deploy campaign materials. These include banners, branded vehicles, T-shirts, handbills, 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 agency boss said the measure is designed to prevent visual pollution, protect public infrastructure and ensure professional standards during the electioneering period.
He warned that any party or candidate that fails to comply with the directive will have their campaign materials removed and may face legal sanctions.
Aninwike 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 added that Governor Peter Mbah has consistently complied with the state’s advertising regulations in both his previous and current official activities.
The agency further cautioned supporters against defacing the campaign materials of opponents, describing such acts as undemocratic and punishable under the law.
