The Abia State Government has introduced a ₦200 million permit fee for presidential candidates seeking to use billboards, posters and other outdoor advertising platforms for political campaigns in the state.
The fee was announced on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) in Aba. The forum, themed “Order in Outdoors: Partnership for Safe Campaigns, Sustainable Revenue and A Cleaner Abia,” focused on regulating outdoor advertising ahead of future elections.
Speaking at the event, ABSSAA’s Head of Strategy, Innovation and Design, Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, unveiled the approved fee schedule, which also stipulates ₦150 million for governorship candidates, ₦100 million for senatorial candidates, ₦50 million for House of Representatives candidates and ₦20 million for House of Assembly candidates.
According to the agency, the policy is intended to regulate outdoor political campaigns, promote orderliness and ensure that all political parties have equal access to advertising spaces without discrimination, provided they comply with the established guidelines.
The announcement, however, has drawn criticism from stakeholders. The Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) described the rates as excessive and economically unsustainable for political contestants.
Similarly, the Abia State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) questioned the legality of the charges, arguing that Supreme Court judgments have vested the authority to collect such fees in local government councils rather than state agencies.
