"TAX IN THIS STATE IS TOO MUCH": KELVIN ONOVO CRIES OUT AS HIGH ENSAA BILLBOARD FEES AND SURGING TAXES DRIVE UP RENTS, COST OF LIVING IN ENUGU

ENUGU, NIGERIA — Rising tax burdens and administrative levies in Enugu State are drawing intense criticism from local entrepreneurs and property developers, with commercial operators warning that the heavy cost of statutory compliance is rapidly driving up the general cost of living and doing business across the coal city.

​Voicing these concerns in a passionate public commentary, Enugu-based commentator Kelvin Onovo detailed how escalating tax requirements have created a cascading effect on real estate rents, market prices, and everyday service delivery.

​Highlighting a personal experience with commercial rent inflation, Onovo disclosed that his office rent was recently hiked from ₦700,000 to ₦1.2 million annually—a decision enforced by his landlord to offset skyrocketing property tax liabilities. According to Onovo, a property owner revealed in confidence that he pays over ₦1.8 million in yearly state taxes, leaving landlords with little choice but to transfer the financial weight onto tenants.

​Onovo also decried the excessive statutory charges levied by the Enugu State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ENSAA). After sending a representative to secure approval for a business billboard, he was handed a ₦200,000 bill—comprising a ₦50,000 inspection fee and an annual ₦150,000 signage permit—a cost far surpassing the physical manufacturing expenses of the billboard itself.

​While acknowledging that tax compliance remains vital for state infrastructure development, Onovo stressed that taxation must be fair, simplified, and sustainable for small and medium-scale enterprises. He urged the public to consider the underlying tax pressures on business operators before placing sole blame on local merchants and property managers for the surging cost of living in Enugu.