The Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency has fixed a mandatory N150 million advertising permit for political parties and candidates ahead of the 2026 and 2027 elections.
This is according to a statement issued by the agency’s General Manager Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, Francis Aninwike, following a management meeting held at its headquarters in Enugu.
The directive comes as political activities begin to build toward the next election.
What ENSSAA said
According to Francis Aninwike, all political parties and candidates must obtain the campaign permit before deploying any visual campaign materials or outdoor promotional items.
The agency said the N150 million permit grants approval to deploy campaign materials such as banners, billboards, buntings, branded vehicles, T-shirts, caps, handbills and street campaign promotions across both urban and rural communities in the state.
- “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 N150 million, payable to the Enugu State Government account,” he said.
According to him, the permit is designed to prevent visual pollution, ensure a level playing field, maintain professional standards in outdoor advertising, and protect public infrastructure.
He explained that the directive aligns with the agency’s statutory responsibility to regulate outdoor advertising, maintain environmental aesthetics and ensure lawful campaign conduct across Enugu State’s 17 local government areas.
He warned that any party or candidate that fails to comply risks removal of campaign materials and possible legal sanctions.
Backstory
Political actors often mounted campaign materials through licensed outdoor advertising practitioners who processed approvals and paid location-based rates.
However, enforcement challenges, proliferation of posters, and concerns about visual clutter during election cycles have driven calls for stricter, centralized control.
ENSSAA said the permit requirement is designed to prevent visual pollution, protect public infrastructure and maintain professional standards in outdoor advertising during election seasons.
More insights
The agency stressed that the guidelines will be applied uniformly to all political parties and candidates, including incumbents, dismissing concerns about selective enforcement.
It added that campaign structures must be handled by licensed professionals to ensure safety standards and compliance with advertising regulations.
ENSSAA urged political parties and supporters to conduct campaigns responsibly, emphasising that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair but as a democratic process that allows citizens to exercise civic rights peacefully.
The agency also clarified that only practitioners licensed by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria are authorised to erect billboards or campaign structures within the state.
What you should know
The Independent National Electoral Commission started on Saturday, February 20, 2027, for Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will follow on March 6, 2027, completing the general election cycle.
Recent voter registration data released by INEC show growing participation ahead of the polls. As of February 13, 2026, a total of 1,228,648 Nigerians had completed registration, including 673,124 online pre-registrations and 555,524 physical completions.
Women account for 57 percent of registrants, while men make up 43 percent. Youth aged 18 to 34 represent over 69 percent of new registrants, and 19,414 persons with disabilities have registered nationwide.
