Political parties and candidates hoping to campaign in Enugu State will now have to pay ₦150 million for an advertising permit before deploying any form of outdoor promotional material, the state’s signage and advertisement regulatory agency has announced.
Francis Aninwike, General Manager of the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency, disclosed the requirement on Monday, February 23, at a management meeting held at the agency’s headquarters.
The announcement, made public through a statement from the media office of Governor Peter Mbah, outlined the guidelines for outdoor political campaigns ahead of the 2026 local government elections and the 2027 general elections.
Aninwike said the permit fee covers all forms of visual campaign activities across the state’s 17 local government areas, from billboards and banners to branded vehicles, T-shirts, caps, handbills, buntings, rallies, and any other street campaign materials used in urban and rural areas.
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He made clear that no political party, candidate, or support group would be allowed to carry out any form of outdoor campaign without first obtaining the permit and paying the fee into the Enugu State Government account.
“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,” Aninwike said.
The directive could prove contentious, particularly for smaller parties and candidates with limited resources.
Observers say a ₦150 million campaign advertising fee places a significant financial burden on political actors, raising questions about whether the requirement could effectively shut out less funded candidates from competing on a level playing field.