Ajufo: OAAN Not Against LASAA Regulation

Ugo Aliogo

The President, Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) Emmanuel Ajufo, has stated that the association is not against regulatory policies of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) stressing however that the body is not pleased with the way things are done.

Ajufo, disclosed this in Lagos during the first edition of Nimbus Talks event which is a symposium aimed at exploring 10 years of innovative advertising solution in Nigeria and the way forward.

He also stated that regulation would improve their business, if it is done well, adding that the regulator should use regulation to set the standards, and members of the association would comply.

He lamented that they are faced with a situation, where Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) becomes the regulation, noting that this is not supposed to be, because IGR is supposed to be the end of regulation, “So that if things are done well, we will be able to do business and pay what we are supposed to pay to the government.”

According to him, “We have also noticed that some signage agencies are in competition (what I mean here is that they also have billboards) with us and we feel strongly that that should not be. You are aware that LASAA has some billboards and advertise some of these comedians on it. Such advertisements should have be business for our members who will then place the advertisement on their billboards and earn some revenues. We don’t want such practice and they should not do that.”

Ajufo added that the regulator should take a marketing approach to regulation.

Continuing, he said: “There is a need for the regulator to discuss with the stakeholders, even when we are talking about legislation, let everyone be onboard because the issues will require the input of stakeholders to give heed to it. Like in the National Assembly before they even pass a law, they call concerned stakeholders for public hearing and get one or two opinions from them. So for the regulator in trying to come out with a legislation, they should carry people along. For instance, the concession decision which Lagos State Government made on concessioning seven roads in the state, it was later discovered that six of the seven roads are federal roads, and the federal government has already disowned them.