Abia govt slaps ₦200m billboard permit fee on presidential candidates

The Abia State Government has announced a ₦200 million permit fee for presidential candidates seeking to use billboards, posters and other outdoor advertising platforms for campaign activities in the state.

The new fee structure was unveiled on Wednesday in Aba by the Abia State Structures for Signages and Advertising Agency (ABSSAA) during a stakeholders' forum themed "Order in Outdoors: Partnership for Safe Campaigns, Sustainable Revenue and A Cleaner Abia."

According to ABSSAA's Head of Strategy, Innovation and Design, Ndubuisi Nwaogwugwu, governorship candidates will pay ₦150 million, while senatorial candidates will pay ₦100 million. House of Representatives candidates are expected to pay ₦50 million, while House of Assembly candidates will pay ₦20 million.

The state government said the policy is intended to regulate outdoor political campaigns, maintain order and ensure equal access to advertising spaces for all political parties, provided they comply with the laid-down guidelines.

However, the announcement has sparked criticism.

The Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) described the fees as excessive and unsustainable, while the Abia State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) questioned the legality of the charges, arguing that Supreme Court judgments vest the authority to collect such fees in local governments rather than state agencies.