The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, LASAA, has announced guidelines that would guide politicians and political parties in the state as they embark on electioneering campaigns ahead of the 2023 general election.
A statement by the LASAA’s Managing Director, Adedamola Docemo, explained that the guidelines were issued in accordance with the agency’s responsibilities on the use of billboards/wall drapes, banners, A-frames, and posters, to establish sanity and protect the environment from defilement, visual blight and other adverse effects of unregulated display of political campaign materials.
Docemo also noted that the guidelines were issued without prejudice to any political party, association or aspirant, stressing that “it is our intention to ensure fairness and equality amongst all concerned stakeholders, while judiciously performing our duties and applying the rules without sentiment or bias.”
The statement titled, ‘Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency Guidelines on the Use of Election Campaign Materials in Lagos State,’ read in part: “Billboards and Wall Drapes may only be deployed on existing structures owned and operated by Outdoor Advertising Practitioners who are registered with the Agency and have obtained permits for such sites and structures. Parties interested in deploying political campaigns may contact.
“A-Frame may only be placed on road verges, medians on inner streets and must not exceed a size of 2×1 meter (big size) and 0.5×0.5 meters (small size). It must have a distance of not less than 100 meters between each sign deployed which must be made of standard and sturdy materials to ensure that they do not drop or block the roads.
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“Furthermore, banners may only be displayed on inner roads and streets, subject to the following conditions: Only if the banner is attached to the wall of a particular building with the consent/agreement of the building owners) limited to inner streets. Not to be tied to poles or public utilities (electric and telecom poles).
“Similarly, posters may be pasted on designated surfaces on inner streets only and are not to be seen on highways, major roads and high streets.Posters must not be pasted on public utility structures such as streetlamp poles, transformers, bridge pillars/ barriers, road directional sign, electrical poles and other unauthorised surfaces.”
The Agency also cautioned political parties and aspirants to refrain from indiscriminate deployment of campaign posters and embrace the use of other creative and innovative platforms, including stick in the ground, billboards, mobile A-frames, and mobile adverts. It also encouraged them to apply to LASAA for allocation of spaces at different locations to deploy their materials.
While reiterating its readiness to assist and cooperate with all political parties, politicians, campaigners and their supporters in ensuring they have a hitch-free political participation, LASAA warned that impunity and lawlessness in the deployment of political campaign advertisement materials would not be tolerated.
It also warned that illegally displayed and non-conforming political campaign materials would be removed without recourse to the owners, reminding the affected individuals, groups and organisations that all advertising materials must be removed immediately after the 2023 election.
The statement however, encouraged the stakeholders and the general public to visit the LASAA’s head office in Ikeja, any of its offices in the local government areas or contact the agency’s various social media platforms and website for further information and clarifications
