Outdoor advertisers urged to obey environment rules
The Executive Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has challenged members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN)) on the need for close monitoring and supervision to restrict advertising for such products as alcohol and tobacco within a set of radius of schools, parks and residential areas, as well as avoid indiscriminate placement of billboards to deface the environment, and that members should take extra care of the beauty and aesthetics of environment.
The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Barrister Mary Iyasere, made this statement last weekend during the 32nd annual general meeting of the association in Asaba, Delta State capital. The theme of the meeting was ‘Managing Our Business Profitably in a Recession’.
Governor Okowa also implored the outdoor advertising practitioners to come up with suggestions for solutions to the numerous difficulties that faced outdoor advertising in Nigeria.
In his welcome address at the occasion, President of OAAN, Mr. Tunde Adedoyin, while revealing that the association had been facing some challenges in recent times, reeled out his scorecard of his first two years in office.
The new executive members are Tunde Adedoyin as president, Mr. Emmanuel Ajufo as vice president, Mr. Femi Ogala as secretary, Mr. Tunde Oyekan as assistant secretary, Mr. Obi Nnaobi as publicity secretary and Mrs. Dupe Adewuyi emerged the new treasurer. Members of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) have rejected Lagos Advertisement and Signage Agency’s (LASA) request for a free billboard exposure in support of the Lagos at 50 anniversary celebrations.
LASA had approached the billboard owners with a proposal to dedicate some of their platforms around Lagos in support of the golden jubilee campaign, but it met a brick wall from members who protested that the agency had shown unwillingness to pay outstanding debt owed OAAN, running into about N1.3bn.
The liability accrued following OAAN’s involvement in the 2015 All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign for the Lagos State and the presidential elections. The outdoor members decided to donate their platforms to the APC campaign when LASA, through its former CEO, George Noah, brokered a gentleman deal with the association with an assurance that the debt accrued would be paid once the elections were over.