csrreporters In response to recent concerns about potential heavy-handed regulation, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has reaffirmed its dedication to fairness, professionalism, and the sustainable growth of Lagos’s outdoor advertising sector.
Addressing fears of arbitrary enforcement, LASAA Managing Director, Prince Fatiu Akiolu, emphasized that the agency remains committed to dialogue, transparency, and collaboration with stakeholders.
“The era of mutual suspicion is firmly behind us,” Prince Akiolu declared. “LASAA maintains an open-door policy, regularly engages with industry stakeholders, and has introduced incentives like discounted charges on vacant billboards. Major policy changes are made only after stakeholder input.”
He clarified that LASAA does not compete with private advertisers. Instead, the agency manages a limited number of state-sanctioned advertising structures, primarily used for government programmes, public awareness campaigns, and regulatory messaging — in line with its core mandates of urban orderliness, public safety, and aesthetic enhancement.
To preserve professional standards, stringent licensing requirements are in place, ensuring that only qualified operators are allowed in the market. A moratorium on new billboard registrations and permits, introduced in early 2025, remains in effect to curb oversaturation and improve compliance, especially around sensitive zones like police and military areas.
“This moratorium is not punitive,” Akiolu said, “but a strategic move to uphold industry integrity and reduce illegal installations.”
LASAA’s Health and Safety team continues to inspect and verify billboard installations to ensure they meet engineering and safety standards, with the aim of preventing risks to life and property. According to Akiolu, enforcement is always a last resort, with the agency favoring early interventions and compliance support.
He acknowledged the persistence of challenges like violations of spacing, setbacks, and structural integrity but attributed most infractions to lapses in compliance rather than regulatory excesses.
Akiolu called on industry bodies such as the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) and licensed practitioners to take a more active role in self-regulation and help report violations to improve safety, aesthetics, and investment security in Lagos.
In a bid to restore urban order, LASAA has commenced a comprehensive cleanup operation targeting illegal and unapproved advertising installations. This initiative, according to Akiolu, aims to reclaim the city’s visual harmony and protect public interest.
“Outdoor advertising is integral to Lagos’s identity. We are not here to stifle the industry but to support it through structured, fair, and growth-oriented regulation,” he affirmed.
Prince Akiolu concluded by reiterating LASAA’s commitment to a balanced regulatory framework that protects public spaces while supporting the economic sustainability of industry players.
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