2027: Kogi moves to regulate campaign advertising, sets N150m residential fee

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Kogi State Government has approved new fees for political campaign billboards, posters, branded clothing and other promotional materials ahead of the 2027 general elections and the October 2026 local government elections.

Under the approved regime, presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials across the state will pay N150 million, while senatorial candidates will pay N50 million.

Candidates for the House of Representatives will pay N30 million, while those contesting seats in the State House of Assembly will pay N5 million.

For the forthcoming local government elections, chairmanship candidates will pay N2 million, while councillorship candidates will pay N300,000.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, announced the approved rates in Lokoja on Tuesday after a stakeholders’ meeting with operators in the signage and advertising sector.

He said the fees were intended to regulate political advertising, ensure compliance with existing signage laws and regulations, and generate revenue for the development of the state.

Fanwo said the rates were determined after a peer review of applicable charges in other states, adding that the government considered the approved fees affordable given the scale and reach of political campaigns.

He warned that political parties, candidates and campaign organisations that display materials without paying the prescribed fees or obtaining the necessary approvals would face sanctions.

The Commissioner stressed that the regulations would apply equally to all political parties and candidates, including those of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“In Kogi, APC is the ruling party, but that doesn’t exempt any APC candidate from complying with the law. If you’re an APC candidate and you didn’t pay the prescribed fee before placing your billboards or posters, we’ll remove them and you’ll be prosecuted,” Fanwo said.

He added that the state government would ensure that enforcement was carried out fairly and without political discrimination.

According to him, the government had a responsibility to ensure that campaign activities did not result in the indiscriminate proliferation of outdoor advertisements across the state.

The Kogi State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KOSSAA), under the Ministry of Information and Communications, will coordinate the implementation and enforcement of the campaign signage regime.

The General Manager of KOSSAA, Richard Osaseyi, said the agency would commence full enforcement from the following week.

Osaseyi urged political parties, candidates, campaign organisations and billboard operators to register with the agency and secure the required approvals before erecting or displaying campaign materials.

He warned that unauthorised billboards, posters and other campaign materials would be removed, while persons or organisations responsible for violations would face appropriate sanctions.

The state government said the regulatory framework was designed to strike a balance between allowing political parties to campaign freely and maintaining orderly, compliant and properly regulated outdoor advertising across Kogi.