Babajide SanwooluThe sack of Prince Adedamola Docemo, former Managing Director of the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, by the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwoolu, has again thrown up the knotty issues within the out -of- home advertising space in the state, which would always constitute a ‘banana peel’ for whoever occupies the exalted office. Unfortunately, the issues are legion!
Since its establishment in 2006, the relationship between the state’s regulatory agency and the practitioners, whose activities it is supposed to regulate, is far from being cordial. And the reasons are not far-fetched. They border on regulatory framework which, outdoor practitioners in the state believe, are skewed towards annihilating them and strangulating their businesses.
One of such regulations was the decision of the pioneer chief executive of the agency, Makanjuola Alabi, to remove and destroy every standing billboard in Lagos, in 2007. While some practitioners still say they are ready to support any move, aimed at sanitising the cityscape, and allow outdoor furniture to breathe, not a few, however, still believe the outright removal of every standing signage in the metropolis by the pioneer chief executive of the agency was not the way to go. For these practitioners, it would have been handled differently, if ‘Mako’, as he was popularly called then, had been a practitioner. The vast tombstones of agencies left in the trail of the action, they argue, attests to the fact that it was never a win-win situation.
Since its establishment in 2006, the relationship between the state’s regulatory agency and the practitioners, whose activities it is supposed to regulate, is far from being cordial. And the reasons are not far-fetched. They border on regulatory framework which, outdoor practitioners in the state believe, are skewed towards annihilating them and strangulating their businesses.
One of such regulations was the decision of the pioneer chief executive of the agency, Makanjuola Alabi, to remove and destroy every standing billboard in Lagos, in 2007. While some practitioners still say they are ready to support any move, aimed at sanitising the cityscape, and allow outdoor furniture to breathe, not a few, however, still believe the outright removal of every standing signage in the metropolis by the pioneer chief executive of the agency was not the way to go. For these practitioners, it would have been handled differently, if ‘Mako’, as he was popularly called then, had been a practitioner. The vast tombstones of agencies left in the trail of the action, they argue, attests to the fact that it was never a win-win situation.
Adedamola Docemo
Another grouse against the agency is that it is fast deviating from its statutory role of regulating outdoor advertising industry, in pursuant of internally generated revenue, a development stakeholders believe, is beginning to take its toll on outdoor business in the state.
“They are supposed to be standard bearers, standard setters. But they’ve left that standard, and are even competing in the arena.
They don’t really understand the business. If their statutory role is to set standards and regulate, their area of interests would not be IGR. We see them as being driven by money, but what we’ve always said to them is that create the environment and every other thing will follow,” argued Emma Ajufo, the President of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN).
Ajufo, in an exclusive chat with Brands Track also identifies the issue of vacant board, which he stated, has continued to plagued the over 100 members of the association. According to him, only an individual, vast in the workings of the industry can handle such vexatious issue. He described the insistence of the former LASAA chief executive on payment on vacant billboards, as a tell-tale sign of a individual, not in tune with workings of the business.
“They are supposed to be standard bearers, standard setters. But they’ve left that standard, and are even competing in the arena.
They don’t really understand the business. If their statutory role is to set standards and regulate, their area of interests would not be IGR. We see them as being driven by money, but what we’ve always said to them is that create the environment and every other thing will follow,” argued Emma Ajufo, the President of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN).
Ajufo, in an exclusive chat with Brands Track also identifies the issue of vacant board, which he stated, has continued to plagued the over 100 members of the association. According to him, only an individual, vast in the workings of the industry can handle such vexatious issue. He described the insistence of the former LASAA chief executive on payment on vacant billboards, as a tell-tale sign of a individual, not in tune with workings of the business.
“Our understanding of the LASAA law is that you are supposed to pay from the earning that you get. But they feel that once you’ve been allocated a space, whether it is occupied or not, you pay. Unfortunately, we can all see the effects of such action on the business,” he stated.
Emma Ajufo
The issue of concession of major roads, including those belonging to the federal government, to a select favoured few, also remains contentious among practitioners in the industry.
It’s on record that some outdoor practitioners, in Lagos, have been given till the end of this month, July, to vacate some major roads, including the federal -owned, in the metropolis; as a result of such concession.
It’s on record that some outdoor practitioners, in Lagos, have been given till the end of this month, July, to vacate some major roads, including the federal -owned, in the metropolis; as a result of such concession.
For many, this idea puts a lot of practitioners at a disadvantage; since it does not provide a level-playing field for every player in the sector; and if care is not taken may drive the nail into the coffins of many outdoor businesses.
While the need to appoint a new LASAA executive, capable of taking care of all these issues, has become imperative, . practitioners however believe it should be handled with all the seriousness it deserves. One way of demonstrating is for the state government to go beyond appointing a chief executive for the agency, but also constitute a board for the agency, as statutorily required
Having a board in place, they believe will go a long way in checking the excesses of the chief executive.
“We believe having a board in place will go a long way in checking some arbitrariness the occupier of such office is likely to demonstrate,” Ajufo stated.
Practitioners also list the need to bring back the old times, when outdoor signages were accessible to small and medium businesses in the state. Since the coming on board of LASAA, this class of businesses can no longer afford the luxury of the signages; they have simply been priced beyond petty businesses.
“Before LASAA came, we had all manners of people who patronized our services. Fashion designers and others were on our platform. But today you can count the number of small businesses on our platforms, because they became suddenly too costly for people to come on. If people don’t have business, how can they advertise on our platforms?
” We also feel strongly that the government which should be interested in us because we create employment, should not drive us away. We have over 100 members, practicing in Lagos, and with this concession, they are going to throw all of us out of business,” argued Ajufo.
As the state commences the search for a new person that will oversee the affairs of the agency, commences, a look into some of these requests, many believe will go a long way in putting an end to the cat and mouse relationship existing between these two critical stakeholders, the agency and outdoor practitioners, thereby repositioning the sector for greater heights.
While the need to appoint a new LASAA executive, capable of taking care of all these issues, has become imperative, . practitioners however believe it should be handled with all the seriousness it deserves. One way of demonstrating is for the state government to go beyond appointing a chief executive for the agency, but also constitute a board for the agency, as statutorily required
Having a board in place, they believe will go a long way in checking the excesses of the chief executive.
“We believe having a board in place will go a long way in checking some arbitrariness the occupier of such office is likely to demonstrate,” Ajufo stated.
Practitioners also list the need to bring back the old times, when outdoor signages were accessible to small and medium businesses in the state. Since the coming on board of LASAA, this class of businesses can no longer afford the luxury of the signages; they have simply been priced beyond petty businesses.
“Before LASAA came, we had all manners of people who patronized our services. Fashion designers and others were on our platform. But today you can count the number of small businesses on our platforms, because they became suddenly too costly for people to come on. If people don’t have business, how can they advertise on our platforms?
” We also feel strongly that the government which should be interested in us because we create employment, should not drive us away. We have over 100 members, practicing in Lagos, and with this concession, they are going to throw all of us out of business,” argued Ajufo.
As the state commences the search for a new person that will oversee the affairs of the agency, commences, a look into some of these requests, many believe will go a long way in putting an end to the cat and mouse relationship existing between these two critical stakeholders, the agency and outdoor practitioners, thereby repositioning the sector for greater heights.
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