Outdoor Advertising: Politicians Cautioned On Illegal Signages

The Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has cautioned politicians and other individuals engaged in indiscriminate and illegal installation of billboards for electioneering campaigns, saying that such act will impact negatively on the environment as well as create new challenges for the industry.

Rather, the association advised that it is only those companies that are within its fold or that have been duly licensed to engage in the business of outdoor advertising by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, APCON that can lawfully engage in the practice.

"For the avoidance of doubts, we state quite categorically that it is only those companies that are within the fold of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria licensed to engage in the business of outdoor advertising by APCON that can lawfully engage in the practice."

Making the plea at the end of its extra-ordinary General meeting recently held at Obasanjo Legacy resort in Abeokuta, Ogun State, President of the association, Mr. Charles Chijide maintained that any group of individuals who engages in the practice in whatever form, for whatever purposes and under any guise will be committing an act of illegality.

He disclosed that this advise becomes necessary in view of the adverse effect that this act of gross illegality constitutes to the environment and the grave danger it portends for the society if not checked immediately.

Buttressing the point, he said: "when non professionals and quacks engage in any specialized area of human endeavour, the result can only be chaotic" insisting that it was OAAN's belief that the current activities of those engaging in illegal billboards installation across the country can only result in having serious negative consequences on the environment."

However, Chijide argued that if professionals are engaged, the environment will be better for it while the sponsors of such campaigns would spend less, and still have higher value for their money. The association which called on the various signages and advertising regulatory agencies and other departments of government with similar mandate at all levels across the country to be alive to its responsibility and stop this illegality, was of the view that moments like this calls for the regulatory agencies to demonstrate that they are truly in charge and that only companies registered with them are allowed to install and deploy billboards in their respective domains.

He noted with sadness that "while members have existing billboards that are currently available for acquisition (and for which the signage agencies insist that they pay prescribed fees, not minding whether revenues are being derived on them) the same regulatory agencies appear to be looking the other way while certain individuals flout the law with crass impunity."

It called on the signages agencies and departments to take urgent steps to protect both OAAN members businesses and the environment from imminent onslaught of politicians through indiscriminate installation of billboards.