The Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSSAA) has fixed a mandatory ₦150 million advertising permit fee for all political parties and candidates eyeing seats in the 2026 and 2027 local, state, and federal elections.
Mr. Francis Aninwike, the general manager of the agency, announced the directive during a management meeting on Monday at the agency’s headquarters in Enugu.
The move is part of the agency’s statutory mandate to regulate outdoor advertising and maintain environmental aesthetics across the state’s 17 Local Government Areas.
Scope of the Permit: What ₦150m Covers
According to the agency, the permit is a prerequisite for any form of visual promotion or outdoor campaign activity.
Once paid, the permit grants candidates and parties the right to deploy:
- Branded Items: T-shirts, caps, handbills, and buntings.
- Mobile & Street Ads: Branded vehicles and organized street campaigns.
- Outdoor Materials: Rallies, banners, and other visual promotional assets in both urban and rural areas.
“Every political party and candidate must obtain a campaign permit from ENSSAA before deploying any form of visual campaign… The statutory fee for the permit is ₦150 million, payable to the Enugu State Government account,” Aninwike stated.
Regulatory Compliance: No ARCON, No Billboard
Beyond the permit fee, the agency is tightening the screws on the professional standards of political branding.
Mr. Aninwike clarified that the erection of billboards or large-scale advertisement structures is strictly reserved for practitioners registered and licensed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
Key Enforcement Guidelines:
Professional Oversight: No individual or support group is allowed to erect structures without going through licensed ARCON practitioners.
Visual Pollution: The agency aims to prevent the defacement of public infrastructure and ensure “orderliness” in the visual space.
Vandalism: ENSSAA warned against the defacing of opponents’ materials, labeling such acts as undemocratic and punishable by law.
Level Playing Field or Revenue Drive?
Addressing concerns regarding selective enforcement, the ENSSAA boss dismissed allegations that the guidelines might favour the ruling party.
He insisted that the rules apply uniformly to all candidates, including incumbents.
To demonstrate this, he noted that Governor Peter Mbah has consistently complied with all advertising regulations in his previous and current official activities.
Candidates who fail to comply with the ₦150 million fee risk having their campaign materials removed and may face legal sanctions.
The ₦150 million fee represents a significant entry barrier for smaller political parties and independent candidates, effectively making the “cost of visibility” a major factor in the upcoming Enugu elections.
From a fiscal perspective, this is a strategic move by the Enugu State Government to grow Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) during the high-spending election cycle.
However, the success of this policy will depend on the transparency of the collection and whether the agency can effectively curb the guerrilla marketing tactics often used by political actors to bypass formal channels.
