Political Billboards: States Charge Hefty Rates, Target Millions In Revenue

| It’s exploitative – ARCON | OAAN seeks fairer operating environment

By AZA MSUE, Okem Green Mbah, Longtong Yakubu, ABU NMODU, KABIR WURMA, Adebayo Waheed, Abdullahi Olesin, Nnamdi Mbawike, OKECHUKWU OBETA, GEORGE OKOJIE, ADEBAYO WAHEED, KINGSLEY OKOH

Various states in Nigeria are imposing different charges on political billboards as campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum, LEADERSHIP can report.

In Benue State, the government has fixed a fee of N40 million for presidential candidates and N35 million for governorship candidates seeking to erect campaign billboards.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP, the commissioner for information and culture, Solomon Iorpev, said senatorial candidates would pay N20 million, House of Representatives candidates N10 million and State House of Assembly candidates N5 million.

He added that candidates and political parties would pay a monthly renewal fee of N50,000.

Iorpev, who also oversees the Benue State Signage and Advertisement Agency, said the renewal fee was intended to discourage candidates and parties from abandoning billboards after elections.

“After the elections, candidates and political parties have to remove billboards to keep the environment clean,” he said.

In Kaduna State, however, officials of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other political parties said they were yet to be contacted by agencies responsible for campaign billboards.

APC Gets Prime Yenagoa Spots

In Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, political parties seeking to mount campaign billboards are expected to pay between N150,000 and N400,000 for five months, depending on the location and size of the billboard.

Ifeanyi Obodo, an agent of the Yenagoa Local Government Council responsible for campaign billboards, told LEADERSHIP that the council now handles the matter, a responsibility previously undertaken by the Bayelsa State Planning and Development Board.

He said the charges applied to all political parties, but some strategic locations had been designated exclusively for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The rates include N300,000 for a 15ft by 25ft portrait billboard at Alamieyeseigha Junction on the Expressway, N150,000 for a 20ft by 10ft landscape billboard at Swali Market and N350,000 for a 15ft by 25ft billboard at NIT Junction.

A 20ft by 30ft portrait billboard along Tombia-Amasoma Road costs N400,000, while billboards of similar sizes at Kpansia, opposite Nikton Junction, attract the same fee.

Kano Has No Fixed Billboard Fee

The Kano State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KASAA) said it has no fixed fee for presidential or governorship campaign billboards.

Its managing director, Kabiru Dakata, said charges were determined by the law establishing the agency and the nature of each advertisement.

Candidates or their representatives seeking to erect campaign billboards must submit details of the proposed structures, including size, location and campaign content, for approval.

Dakata said political advertisers could also hire existing billboard structures owned by registered outdoor advertising practitioners operating under the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN).

Niger Charges N500,000 Monthly

In Niger State, the Directorate of Signages regulates outdoor advertisements, including billboards, electronic signs and signboards.

The director-general of Signages, Baba Shaibu, said the agency charges N500,000 monthly per billboard face, depending on its size and location.

He said the charges applied to political and ordinary advertisements and were intended to ensure proper coordination, compliance with town planning regulations and prevention of the defacement of public spaces.

Baba said non-compliant advertisers could face sanctions, including removal of their structures, adding that billboard installations must be undertaken through registered advertising agencies.

Oyo Fixes N50m for Presidential Campaign Ads

In Oyo State, the Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA) has introduced a mandatory campaign permit for political advertising.

The agency has fixed the fee for presidential campaign advertising at N50 million and governorship advertising at N30 million.

Its director-general, Oludolapo Eso-Ajanaku, said advertising practitioners must obtain permits before deploying or displaying campaign materials for political parties, candidates, campaign organisations or support groups in the state.

Billboard Erection Costs N600,000 in Kwara

In Kwara State, candidates and political parties do not deal directly with the Kwara State Signage Agency (KWASSA) over billboard erection.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the agency has sold outdoor advertising spaces to practitioners, who in turn rent them to politicians and other members of the public.

A senior agency official, who pleaded anonymity, said eye-catchers and gantries cost between N500,000 and N600,000 per face, while portrait billboards cost between N300,000 and N400,000. A 48-sheet billboard costs between N100,000 and N150,000 per face.

The state publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olusegun Adewara, confirmed that the party deals with advertising agencies rather than KWASSA.

Enugu Fixes N150m Campaign Permit

In Enugu State, the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency has fixed a mandatory N150 million advertising permit fee for political parties and candidates participating in the 2026 local government and 2027 general elections.

The general manager, Francis Aninwike, said the fee covers the deployment of campaign materials, including banners, branded vehicles, T-shirts and handbills, as well as street campaigns and rallies across the state’s 17 local government areas.

But a former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Barrister John Nwobodo, condemned the charge, arguing that the Constitution guarantees political parties the right to canvass for votes and publicise their activities.

He said political campaigns should not be treated as commercial activities and therefore should not attract such fees.

Anambra Fixes Presidential Campaign Permit at N50m

Anambra State has fixed a campaign permit fee of N50 million for each presidential candidate.

The media manager/public relations officer of the state signage and advertisement agency (ANSAA), Macdonald Ifeme, said the fee permits a presidential candidate to campaign across all 362 wards in the state’s 21 local government areas.

It covers the pasting of banners and posters, market campaigns, branded campaign vehicles, distribution of campaign T-shirts and fliers, and rallies in hired public or private spaces.

Ifeme said the fee would also assist the agency in cleaning up public spaces after campaigns.

He, however, said no presidential candidate had paid the fee so far.

The agency announced the fee on May 26, 2026. No governorship campaign permit was fixed because Anambra will not hold a governorship election during the 2027 general elections.

Lagos: Charges Not Based on Political Affiliation

The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has denied imposing special or discriminatory billboard charges ahead of the 2027 elections.

A senior agency official said charges were based on location, billboard size, type and duration, rather than political affiliation.

He said political billboard advertising typically costs between N500,000 and more than N5 million monthly.

“We don’t charge any party less and charge another party more in Lagos State. All the billboards, even those by the ruling party, are paid for,” he said.

LASAA also charges a non-refundable N500,000 application fee for outdoor billboard advertisements exceeding 15 square metres, in addition to a N10,000 site inspection fee.

Kebbi: Billboards Flood Birnin Kebbi

Hundreds of billboards have been erected along major roads and streets in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, by supporters and associates of APC governorship candidate Nasir Idris ahead of his bid for re-election in 2027.

Findings by LEADERSHIP indicate that billboard installations began in 2025 as a show of solidarity with Governor Idris and his second-term campaign.

A local art designer said he had produced at least 100 billboard packs for about 50 sponsors from the APC, ADC, NDC and NNPP. He said the cost depended on the size and quality of materials.

According to him, he charged N1.2 million for the largest billboards for governorship candidates, N750,000 for senatorial candidates and N550,000 for State House of Assembly candidates.

He said APC supporters were the highest bidders for large billboards.

One sponsor, Alhaji Aliyu Guruza, said he had placed more than 25 billboards on major roads, including in front of the Government House, as a personal expression of support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Idris.

Another sponsor, Alhaji Hassan Altine Shugaba, said he placed six billboards across the city to demonstrate his support for the governor.

LEADERSHIP observed that Kebbi had the highest number of billboard installations among the seven North-West states.

ARCON Decries ‘Exploitative’ Charges

The director-general and chief executive officer of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, has expressed concern over the varying charges imposed by state signage agencies on political advertisements.

Fadolapo described the development as a new and worrying trend requiring caution, particularly because of the wide disparity in charges across states.

“I really can’t explain it. This is a new development that calls for caution,” he said.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, he said exorbitant charges and differing approval requirements could increase the cost of political campaigns and create an uneven operating environment for outdoor advertising practitioners.

He stressed that the amounts being demanded by some state signage agencies were a serious concern and called for dialogue among stakeholders to prevent the situation from becoming exploitative.

Fadolapo acknowledged that ARCON does not have the statutory mandate to regulate the fee structures of state signage agencies.

“It is not within our mandate to regulate the state structure. Our mandate is to regulate advertisement,” he said.

He explained that ARCON’s responsibility primarily covers advertising content, while state authorities regulate physical signage and public spaces.

However, he said there were overlapping responsibilities between federal and state authorities and that ARCON had begun engaging state signage agencies on the issue.

“We will continue to engage all stakeholders to see how we can have a common and agreed position on issues of national interest,” he said.

Fadolapo noted that states have different systems for regulating outdoor advertising. Some have dedicated signage agencies, while others operate through urban planning and development authorities.

He said the different regimes could have significant commercial implications for operators handling nationwide campaigns, as they must deal with multiple authorities, fee structures and approval processes.

The cumulative effect, he said, could increase campaign expenditure and make planning particularly difficult for smaller operators.

He also warned that divergent charges could affect commercial brands seeking nationwide visibility, as advertisers might favour platforms with more predictable costs and regulatory requirements.

While acknowledging the legitimate interests of state authorities in regulating outdoor advertising, including structural safety, visual clutter and the use of public spaces, Fadolapo said these interests must be balanced with the need for a predictable operating environment.

“The lasting solution is engagement. Everybody needs to sit down and have a conversation on how best to agree a national framework that will not only be exploitative, but will also take consideration of all stakeholders and stakeholders’ interests,” he said.

The dispute over regulatory authority has also intensified. In February, ARCON challenged directives issued by signage and advertising agencies in Ondo and Enugu states requiring some advertisements, including political adverts, to undergo additional state-level review before exposure.

ARCON described the directives as illegal and beyond the powers of the state agencies, arguing that advertising regulation falls within federal law.

OAAN Seeks Fairer Operating Environment

The president of the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Dr Sola Akinsiku, also called for professionalism, fairness and a more conducive operating environment as the political campaign season approaches.

Akinsiku said the election period presented opportunities and responsibilities for outdoor advertising practitioners, noting that the industry had the technology, expertise and infrastructure required to handle sophisticated political campaigns.

However, he identified the cost of innovation and unapproved advertising as challenges that could undermine the sector’s development.

He also noted that divergent state charges had raised questions about the respective roles of federal and state authorities in regulating outdoor advertising.

Akinsiku called for broader engagement among stakeholders, including board meetings and a summit involving ARCON and players in the out-of-home advertising industry.