LAGOS DEBUNKS ₦700M BILLBOARD FEE CLAIM, REVEALS ACTUAL COST
The Lagos State Government has dismissed claims that it charges ₦700 million for billboard permits, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
The government said the claim was circulated on social media amid allegations that the high cost of billboard advertising was responsible for the absence of National Democratic Congress (NDC) campaign materials on major roads across Lagos.
The controversy followed comments by the Director-General of the NDC Presidential Campaign Council, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, who alleged during an appearance on Nigeria Info FM 99.3 that Lagos charges close to ₦700 million for a licence to erect political billboards.
However, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, rejected the allegation, insisting that the government does not own or operate billboards.
According to Omotoso, billboard structures across the state belong to private advertising operators, while the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) serves only as a regulatory body.
He disclosed that the most expensive billboard advertising space in Lagos costs approximately ₦10 million monthly, adding that LASAA does not determine the commercial rates charged by billboard owners.
The government also clarified that individuals and organisations seeking registration as outdoor advertising practitioners in Lagos are required to pay a non-refundable, one-off registration fee of ₦7 million.
Applicants must also register with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and fulfil other requirements stipulated by the agency.
It explained that the ₦7 million registration fee is different from statutory permit charges payable to LASAA and the commercial costs of billboard placement, production and other advertising services.
According to the government, applicable regulatory fees for billboard structures depend on factors such as their size, format and location, with different rates applying across designated zones.
The state further stressed that political campaign materials must be displayed on approved advertising structures operated by registered practitioners with valid LASAA permits.
Such structures are also expected to comply with regulations covering location, structural safety and environmental standards.
Omotoso disclosed that LASAA had recently conducted a public sensitisation exercise to educate political parties, candidates, advertising practitioners and members of the public on the guidelines governing election campaign advertisements.
He added that the agency would remove political campaign materials after electioneering activities at no cost to the public to restore the state’s visual environment.
The government urged political parties and advertising practitioners to familiarise themselves with the existing regulations rather than circulate what it described as misleading information about billboard charges.
