As the campaigns begin, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisements Agency (LASAA) has appealed to political parties, politicians, campaigners and their supporters to adhere to the guidelines on the use of election campaign materials in Lagos State ahead of the 2023 general elections.
In line with its enabling law to control and regulate advert displays in Lagos state, LASAA is ready to assist and work with all political parties, politicians and campaigners in ensuring that they enjoy visibility in the state. LASAA is also set to ensure a level-playing ground for all political parties in the state.
However, impunity and disregard for the guidelines in the deployment of political campaign advertisement materials will not be tolerated. And LASAA will not hesitate to remove campaign materials deemed to have violated the agency’s guidelines for usage of election campaign materials in Lagos State.
A statement by the LASAA’s Managing Director, Mr Adedamola Docemo, explained that guidelines 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 must be strictly adhered with.
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.”
“Unfortunately we also identified several public safety infractions on some of the already deployed campaign materials during our recent monitoring and compliance exercise. These materials fall short of our safety standards within the Agency”. Stated the LASAA, boss.
Furthermore he stated, “Our assessment also showed many of these materials deployed are light weight and are easily blown away due to heavy wind on our major highways especially the 3rd mainland and Eko bridge axis. We will be conducting necessary enforcement exercise to remove them in the interest of public safety”.
According to the statement issued in August by the agency 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 thev 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 unauthorized surfaces.”
Meanwhile, the Agency has 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, even as it 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 warned that Illegally displayed and non- conforming political campaigns 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 elections.
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 to for further information and clarifications.