LASAA ADDRESSES COMMUNITY CONCERNS OVER BILLBOARD SAFETY IN ABATI BARRACK

Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) is responding to the urgent concerns raised by a group in Surulere area of Lagos State, military officers and their families living in Abati Barrack over a giant billboard that has fallen twice, causing injuries and harm to lives and properties in the area. The Agency unequivocally disassociates itself from actions capable of endangering the lives and property of citizens and will continue to ensure that structural integrity is maintained in the deployment of any advertising structure in Lagos as billboards capable of causing deaths or destruction will not be allowed to stand.LASAA would like to reiterate its unwavering commitment to ensuring the integrity and safety of all advertising structures across Lagos State. We wish to also state for public information that the billboard in Abati Barrack is not registered by the Agency, therefore, it is illegal.LASAA had consistently made efforts before that incident happened to regulate all advertising structures within and around the Nigeria Military, Police, and the Airforce formations in Lagos, but were not given the required support to regulate advertising structures within their territory. They are seen acting outside their purview. It is, however, important to allow LASAA perform its mandate without any fear or intimidation in the State to avert issues of falling advertisement structures and illegalities in these formations.The owner of the billboard identified as Radius Resources Limited has been sanctioned by LASAA and suspended since October 24, 2024 due to unethical practice, consequently, has no right to reinstall the fallen billboard.The Agency has equally issued a stop-work order to the company to ensure that accident does not recur at the location and has written to the management of the Army informing them of the development and the necessity to halt all constructions at the site for re-assessment.LASAA acknowledges the community's alarm regarding the situation that has happened without adherence to LASAA’s regulations as the oversight raises significant concerns for public safety.The Managing Director of LASAA, Prince Fatiu Akiolu stated that: "We strongly urge all entities, the outdoor advertising practitioners, including military, airforce, and police formations, to collaborate with LASAA and comply with existing laws and regulations governing billboard installations.". “We must work together to ensure that advertising practices in Lagos are safe, respectful, and sustainable, while also prioritizing the safety of lives and property of Lagos’ residents as well as visitors'.” Similarly, he stated that: "The safety of our residents is our top priority, and we take incidents like this very seriously." “We are dedicated to enforcing standards that protect the public from potential hazards associated with faulty or improperly installed billboards", he maintained.LASAA encourages the public, including community members and relevant uniformed personnel to report any unsafe billboard installations or violations of our regulations. By working in partnership, we can enhance safety and maintain the aesthetic integrity of our vibrant city, Lagos.Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency is responsible for the management, regulation and control of the signage and outdoor advertising environment in Lagos State. By implication, we are responsible for managing all forms of signage and outdoor branding opportunities in the State.