Outdoorable Magazine

OutdoorableLAGOS STATE SIGNAGE & ADVERTISEMENT AGENCY
www.lasaa.com April 2014
SOMETHING IN THE WATER
HYDRO ADS ARE HERE
AFRICA'S LARGEST
OUTDOOR AGENCY
COMES TO NIGERIA
SIGNAGE EXHIBITIION &
CONFERENCE
HOLDS THIS JUNE
THIS IS LAGOSLEKKI-IKOYI LINK BRIDGE

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OUTDOOR COMPANIES
APPROVED BY LASAA
SIGNAGE EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE
A first for West Africa
- Funto Johnson
THE LAGOS COUNTDOWN
City takes bold new step in new year
celebrations
OUTDOORABLE 5IVE
The most outstanding structures in Lagos
- Kofoworola Gbolasere
BECOMING AN INSTITUTION
- Temitope Akande
LASAA the Go-To Agency on
Outdoor Expertise
GOVERNOR FASHOLA
VISITS LASAA
AMBIENT MEDIA
AFRICA'S LARGEST OUTDOOR
AGENCY
Nigerian Group steers Continental
Outdoor Media
Turning OOH on its head
- Babs Fagade

Editorial
PUBLISHER
Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency
EDITOR-IN-CHEF
George K. Noah
EDITORIAL DIRECTION
Scribes Lane
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kofoworola Gbolasere
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Funto Johnson
ADVERTISING SALES
Email: outdoorable@lasaa.com
Tel: + 234 704 500 3800
EDITORIAL TEAM
Temitope Akande
Idowu Omisore
Mayokun Aofiyebi
Rotimi Osiyoye
Alex Balogun
Zainab Adewale
DESIGN / LAYOUT
Vee Global Concept
COVER PHOTO
’Dayo Adedayo
005 | Outdoorable
Follow us
/LASAA @LASAA /LASAA /LASAA /LASAA
he Lagos State Signage and Advertisement
Agency is responsible for regulating and
Tcontrolling outdoor advertising and signage
displaysinLagosState.
With the vision to be 'an international leader in signage
control, outdoor advertising regulation and civic
beautification', LASAA hit the ground running. The arbitrary
deployment of billboards and posters in the city of Lagos was
brought to a halt, heralding a sea-change in the outdoor
advertisingindustry.
The Agency's commitment to improving aesthetics
and safety in the sector led to new measures to rid Lagos of
practices anathema to modern development. Old billboards
gave way to daring and artistic ones; Iconics, LEDs and Water
Advertising blended aesthetics with creativity to present an
entirely new streetscape and skyline. Thanks to these
innovations, Lagos today stands at par with top cities around
theworld.
Managing Director George Noah, set out the goals of
LASAA to include: “the promotion of urban development
through advertising, ensuring complementary role between
environment and outdoor advertising, promoting quality
service through an excellent work force and increasing
revenues of the state and local authorities.” He noted that
“outdoor advertising plays a fundamental economic role in
society, and contributes an estimated excess of N20billion to
theLagosStateeconomyannually.
“Lagos remains the nation's economic nerve centre,
with over 2,000 industries. With such diversity, it has become
a socio-cultural melting pot attracting Nigerians and
foreigners alike. As such, LASAA is constantly promoting
ultramodern advertising formats that are allowable within
the scope of our regulatory framework. We hold a unique
position to showcase advertising formats that are
aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly. As a
result, LASAA has set itself a target to encourage unique
advertising formats on the streetscapes of Lagos, in line with
themega-cityvisionofthegovernmentofLagosState.”
LASAA was established by the “Lagos State
Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law
(2006) as Amended.” The law empowers the Agency to
“Regulate outdoor structures for the display of signage,
hoarding and advertisement in Lagos State and for
connected purposes.” Among the Agency's functions as
defined:: “Control outdoor structures to be used for signage
and advertisement; Issue licences and permits for the
construction and placement of outdoor structures in any
part of the state; Protect the environment from potential
adverse impact from visual blights; Control the number, size
and location of outdoor structures; Ensure that outdoor
structures are soundly and carefully designed, erected,
modified, maintained or removed when no longer in use to
avoidpotentialdamagetolivesandproperty”etc.
The Agency maintains 22 branch offices in different
parts of the state in order to bring service closer to business
andallstakeholders.
ABOUT LASAA

(1) GEORGE K. NOAH - MD (2) OLUMIDE SOGUNLE- Deputy MD (3) TEMITAYO ETOMI - SA Operations) to the MD (4) SIRAJ BELLO (5) OYINLOLA ADESHINA (6) OLAMIDE OYEGOKE
(7) BUKKY AYODELE(8) TEMITOPE AKANDE (9) MUTIU BELLO (10) OLUWAYINKA ADEDEJI (11) ADEBAYO AJIBOLA (12) TEMITOPE HUNDOGAN {13) LEKAN OYENUGA (14) OYEYEMI LEKAN (15) ADEMILOLA SHITTA
(16) RONKE OGUNSANWO (17) SHAKUR JIMOH
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5
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8
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WHO'S WHO AT LASAA

About Helios
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and
Zimbabwe. Continental Outdoor has a
portfolio of over 28,000 advertising
opportunities in South Africa and
14,000intotalinSub-SaharanAfrica.
The company's policy is to have a
physical presence in every country it
serves, and Nigeria may not be an
exception. It is believed that the
company will either acquire an
existing outdoor agency in Nigeria, or
form a merger with a major player in
the industry. Whichever way it plays,
The Helios Investment Partners is an Africa-focused private
investment firm established in 2004 by co-founding partners
Tope Lawani and Babatunde Soyoye. The company operates a
family of funds aggregating more than $1.7 billion in capital
commitments, pursuing a full range of investment types,
including business formations, growth equity investments,
structured investments in listed entities and large scale
leveragedacquisitionsacrossAfrica.
Helios is one of the largest investment firms focusing on Africa
and is among the few independent pan-African private equity
investment firms to be founded and managed by Africans. The
firm also managed the $110 million Modern Africa Fund on
behalf of a range of investors which included the U.S.
government's Overseas Private Investment Corporation. The
investment experience of the firm spans across some of the
world's most competitive and demanding markets such as the
Texas Pacific Group (TPG Capital), Investcorp, Terra Firma and
JPMorgan.
006 | Outdoorable
Believe it or not, Africa's
biggest outdoor agency is
ow n e d by a N i g e r i a n
investment group. Continental
O u t d o o r M e d i a , w i t h i t s
headquarters in South Africa was
acquired in a $146.8 million deal by
an investor group led by Nigeria's
Helios in 2009. The outdoor agency
already operates in 13 other Sub-
Saharan African countries, namely:
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
M a u r i t i u s , M a d a g a s c a r ,
Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland,
there is no gainsaying that the combination of the investor
group's financial strength and expertise will create a ripple
effectintheout-of-homeindustry.
Many outdoor practitioners are bracing themselves for the
exciting challenge of having Continental Outdoor as a major
player in the industry. Some agencies may have to refocus
strategies and effect an overhaul of their structures, in order to
compete successfully with the financial muscle of Continental
Outdoor. Analysts predict possible mergers, to enable local
agenciescomeupstronger.
On its part, Continental Outdoor is expected to build on its
longstanding position as the most experienced, operationally
capable and best capitalized outdoor advertising company in
Africa. Its clients include internationally recognized brands
including:Coca-Cola,StandardBankandAngloAmerican.
Advert on Continental Outdoor's Citilite range billboard
Continental Outdoor Media billboard
Continental Outdoor Media
already operates in 13
Sub-Saharan countries
NIGERIAN
INVESTMENT
GROUP CONTROLS
AFRICA'S BIGGEST
OUTDOOR AGENCY
“Industry watchers
say the arrival of
Continental Outdoor
heralds a new era
in out-of-home
business in Nigeria”
ŸA revolutionary new biodegradable product
is being introduced into advertising
structures by Continental Outdoor. Made of
recycled textiles, the new product will not
harm the environment, unlike the PVC flex
facematerialwidelyusedintheindustry.
ŸRenewable energy focus sees the
company making increasing use of solar
panels to power outdoor structures; it is
also changing high wattage bulbs to LED
lightingtoconservepower.
ADELAIDE MCKELVEY, DIRECTOR,
REST OF AFRICA OUTSIDE
SOUTH AFRICA FOR
CONTINENTAL OUTDOOR MEDIA.
BABATUNDE SOYOYE, HELIOS
INVESTMENT PARTNER
TOPE LAWANI, HELIOS
INVESTMENT PARTNER
L-R
ŸInstallation of timer switches on many
illuminatedoutdooradvertisingstructures,to
cut down on electricity usage. The
illumination goes off from 1am to 5am when,
according to the company, “most consumers
areofftheroads.”

OOH SECTOR
IN LAGOS STATE
006 | Outdoorable
N50 BILLION WORTH OF
COMMERCE GENERATED
ANNUALLY, OVER 100,000
EMPLOYED
Out of home medium in Lagos
State now offers new
technologies, new formats,
and more creative thinking to help
advertisers and their agencies take
their message to consumers. The
industry has embraced innovation in
order to keep pace with fast changing
needs of consumers. New creative
campaignsensurethatmessagesare
not ignored, blocked, or skipped. For
product advertising restricted to
“adult hours”, OOH offers 24-hour
advertising, beating TV and radio
hitherto handicapped by this
restriction, especially for alcoholic
beverages.
As a result of booming internet
connections on mobile phones, the
medium sends consumers to web
search and social media platforms,
generating all-important word of
mouth and viral marketing.
Nevertheless, the sector is bedeviled
by some crucial challenges including
the reluctance of most advertisers to
embark on short term cost effective
campaigns, the reluctance to deploy
campaigns in more populated areas
of the state such as Alimosho, failure
to embrace appropriate OOH
platforms suitable for specific
locationsandinevitablefailureofOOH
campaigns due to creatives only
suitableforpress.
In an exclusive study undertaken in
conjunction with LASAA, Ideas House
Consultancy, discovered that OOH
reaches consumers no matter what
their media consumption habits are.
This is because OOH advertising
bridges the gap between the in-home
message and the out-of-home
purchase. And the advantage of the
“lastword”isnevermoreevidentthan
when it comes to last-minute,
impulsebuying.
Versatile formats including inflatables, bus shelters,
parasols and litter bins offer 'blank canvas' creative
potential to break through the clutter and hold people's
attention, wherever they work, shop, travel, and play. This
is very evident in metropolitan Lagos where commuters
spend a considerable time in rush hour traffic. Some
companies including NIPCO in Apapa, ARM in Ilupeju, and
Zenith Bank in Victoria Island, are now embracing digital
signage for their first party signs. Other big brands are
considering this new initiative. Several other brands
including Coca-Cola are opting for iconic platforms that
offercompetitiveadvantage.
Over the past decade, Nigeria's Marketing
Communications Industry has witnessed one of the most
significant changes in the economic landscape of the
country. As liberalization and subsequent privatization of
hitherto publicly run enterprises coupled with the
significantinflowofForeignDirectInvestmentbythelarge
multinationals gathered full steam, Marketing
Communications Industry has immensely benefitted from
the internal growth and healthy competition between rival
companies. The advent of the GSM companies started the
wave and the spend trend trickled down to other vibrant
sectors such as FMCG, Alcoholic Beverage and Financial
Institutions.
Now, within this entire spectrum of monumental change,
the nation's OOH market landscape and relative industry
size has grown exponentially. In actual fact, the OOH
market is currently one of the fastest growing practices
within the IMC space. With a more structured and
professionally managed industry, the opportunities for
futuregrowthandexpansionareunprecedented.
The LASAA/Ideas House report shows that in Lagos State
alone, the turnover of OOH sector is in excess of N50bn,
employing over 100,000 persons in various capacities,
from structural engineers to creative design specialists,
outdoor site erectors to fabricators, foundation
companies to architects, printers, casual workers,
security companies, warehouse managers and logistics
companies.
Some of the most notable changes in
the outdoor space especially in Lagos
State has been the introduction and
growth of LED boards which has
tremendously transformed the
advertising landscape whilst giving
companies the unparalleled
opportunity to have their brands
visible in the most dynamic and ideal
manner possible. As we look forward
to the next 10 years with great
optimism, the expectation is for the
OOH industry to grow even bigger
than its current state as the economy
turns around and investment
confidence and appetite increases in
the sector. LASAA will continue to
remain innovative and promote
excellence by regulating the practice
for the benefit of all. Perhaps by that
time, the sector would be worth more
than100bnperyear.
OUT OF HOME SECTOR IN LAGOS
STATE
FABRICATORS – This group
constitutes companies who fabricate
OOH structures in various formats
includingbutnotlimitedtobillboards,
bus shelters, kiosks, signages, steel
frames, small formats such as litter
bins, parasols tables and chairs.
Fabricators also include those who
build OOH structural foundation and
theircasualworkers.
INSTALLERS - Installers are primarily
those who deploy and fix OOH
materials of all kinds. From climbing a
tall tower to mounting a new material
on unipole to changing materials on
street lamp posts, installers usually
undertake temporary work. Their role
is extremely sensitive yet critical to
theOOHindustry.
LARGE FORMAT PRINTERS - An entire
industry on its own, large format
printers focus on printing companies
who fuel the OOH sector with various
print materials, designs and formats.
A large concentration is based at the
ShomoluaxisofLagos.
LANDLORDS - Since OOH business
cannot exist without premises and
these sites are owned as Landlords.
They are crucial stakeholders in the
industry that cannot be ignored.
There are several types of Landlords
with the most common being Federal
Government highways, (including
militaryandpoliceformations), State
Government infrastructures
“The OOH
market is currently
growing practices
one of the fastest
within the IMC space’’
COMPOSITION AND VALUE OF
OUT OF HOME SECTOR IN LAGOS STATE
OUTDOOR
MEDIA BUYING
FABRICATORS INSTALLERS LARGE FORMAT
PRINTERS
LANDLORDS OUTDOOR
SPECIALIST
AGENCIES
OUTDOOR
PROTECTION
SERVICES
OTHERS MOBILE
ADVERTS
TOTAL
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1.5BN
382M
8.275BN
1.875BN
370M
8BN
1.25BN
50.29BN
including roads, parks, open spaces;
and finally, properties owned by
companies/Privateindividuals.
OUTDOOR AGENCIES - These are
LASAA registered companies
authorised to undertake the business
of owning billboards and other
outdoor structures in Lagos State.
Their capabilities include design and
deployment of OOH materials to site.
Approximately 140 of them exist in
the state and are members of
Outdoor Advertising Association of
Nigeria(OAAN).
OUTDOOR PROTECTION SERVICES - Hitherto referred to as "Area
Boys", OPS managers reside in local governments protecting
outdoor sites on a 24hr basis. Unregulated, they remain a crucial
element in the wheel of OOH practice in Lagos State and the
countryatlarge.
MOBILE ADVERTS – This sector covers all forms of mobile
advertisement from partial car branding to complete wrap around
as well as bus and truck branding. BRT and LAGBUS mobile
advertising, taxi digital signage are also classified under mobile
advertising.
Kenny Salami, MD/CEO Ideas House Ltd speaking at the OOH session
A cross section of stakeholders at the Out-of-Home session

agos is set to host Africa's biggest
Signage and Billboard exhibition this
Lsummer, according to plans unveiled
by LASAA. The Agency is putting finishing
touches to preparations for the event, the
first of its kind in West Africa, which holds at
nd
the Eko Hotel Convention Centre from 22 to
th
27 June, 2014. Tagged the 'Signage and
Outdoor Conference and Exhibition Africa
(Lagos 2014)', it will feature about 300
exhibitors and conference participants from
Europe,Asia,AmericaandAfrica.Thefirstever
signage and billboard exhibition in the West
African sub-region, the event is expected to
attractover4,000visitors.
The conference and exhibition will offer
By Funto Johnson
The event will be Africa's biggest and the first in West Africa
signage and billboard owners a platform to
displaytheircreativeinnovationstotheworld.
Nigerian exhibitors and delegates will also
have the added advantage of participation on
home turf, in what is expected to become an
annual event on the outdoor industry
calendar in Lagos State. LASAA says the
maiden edition is geared towards creating a
convergence of stakeholders within the out-
of-home advertising industry. It will focus on
trends, best practices, innovations and
challenges within the Nigerian and African
contexts.
Like cities including Dubai, Munich,
Beijing and Johannesburg where
signageandbillboardexhibitionsare
005 | Outdoorable
Photo Courtesy: Lagosphoto/AAF
SIGNAGE AND BILLBOARD
EXHIBITION HOLDS IN LAGOS
IN JUNE
The exhibition
is expected to
take Nigeria's
blooming
outdoor industry
to new heights.
held regularly, the Lagos event will showcase
the very best of signage and billboards
alongside powerful representations of ideas
that set the pace in the outdoor advertising
industry.
Steering the preparations for the highly
anticipated event is George Noah, MD of
LASAA, who said, “The objective is to provide a
veritable platform for the growth and
development of signage and outdoor
advertising in Lagos State, Nigeria and Africa.
The event is expected to attract from within
and outside the country, industry regulators,
consultants, designers, researchers, brand
managers, media buying agencies, event
companies, suppliers, manufacturers,
exhibitors in the signage, digital signage,
retail signage solutions, outdoor media as
wellasscreenanddigitalprintingindustries.''
Hopes are riding high for the exhibition, which
is expected to take Nigeria's blooming
outdoor industry to new heights. Similar
exhibitions in cities like London and Milan are
reported to generate billions of dollars of
sales for exhibitors serving the printing,
signage and outdoor advertising industries.
Many international stakeholders are already
signed up for the inaugural edition, thereby
offering a world class showcase for those who
participate. “LASAA is set to put the city of
Lagos on yet another global stand
economically and otherwise. The exhibition
will provide for the comparison of creative
inventions in signage and billboards via [set]
parameters, with eventual winners
emerging,”Noahsaid.
''Our objective is to create an enabling
environment that will help all players in our
sector to grow their business and to keep
abreast with new innovations from across the
globe. Visitors and participants are expected
to discover the latest developments in
equipment, software, signage and outdoor
materials, systems, fittings and fixtures.
Participants can maximise their time at the
eventbytakingpartinthetailoredconference
sessions as well as experiencing live
d e m o n s t r a t i o n s a n d n e t w o r k i n g
opportunities. In addition, the conference and
exhibition will deliver new market
breakthroughs, significant on-site sales, joint
venture opportunities, new trading partners
and an improved regional profile for
manufacturers.”
Judging by LASAA's enviable record in
organising successful events, practitioners
say they are looking forward to the first ever
Lagos signage and billboard exhibition, which
they describe as a move in the right direction.
Over the years, the Agency has provided an
oasis of calm from the arbitrary display of
structures in Lagos State. Hardly surprising
therefore, that many are already predicting
thatthecomingexhibitionwillbeasuccess.
Exhibitors already committed to the event
include: Rotapanel (Holland) Primedia (South
Africa) Agfa (Belgium) Saga Group (Dubai)
andInventMedia(Nigeria).

BECOMING AN
INSTITUTION
By Temitope Akande
LASAA shares outdoor
expertise with other
agencies
Johannesburg
JPC has the task of managing property
portfolio in Johannesburg, while engaging
state-owned properties and structures in
revenue generation and beautification. Unlike
LASAA which has the autonomy to enforce
regulations regarding illegal structures, JPC
has no discretionary powers to throw the book
at offenders. The South African Agency is
nonetheless very effective in achieving its
mandate, as demonstrated by the striking
outdoor sites and sights on show on the
streetsofJohannesburg.
At a parley held in South Africa, LASAA
andJPCdiscoveredthattheyhavemoreareas
of commonalities than differences, thus
paving the way for strategic cooperation
between them. Plans are under way for a staff
exchange programme which will see LASAA
staff widen their knowledge base in South
Africa while JPC officials will come to pick up
bestpracticesinLagos.Anotherkeyfeatureof
the cooperation is the GIS Map software that
JPCwillnowmakeavailableLASAA.
OlumideSogunle,LASAADeputy
Managing Director who led the delegation to
South Africa, declared the trip a success. He
noted that the GIS Map software will “aid the
online tracking of all outdoor structures,
applications and the processing of such,
facilitatingthepromptdeliveryofservices.”
The stage is set, therefore, for an
exciting collaboration that will make for more
vibrancy in outdoor advertising in Nigeria and
South Africa. The alliance is also expected to
strengthen LASAA's operations and enhance
the drive for a beautiful Lagos, while
presenting a platform for stronger
internationalties.
On the home front, several other states
are queuing up to tap into LASAA's experience
in the field. Approaches have been made to
seek the Agency's assistance in establishing
outdoor signage regulatory bodies in five
states. The message has so far been taken to:
Ekiti State, Ogun State, Oyo State, Osun State
and Ondo State - all certified brand believers
in the winning model as tried and tested by
LASAA.
L
ASAA is increasingly the go-to
authority on advertising signages, as
the Agency becomes a leading
institution in the outdoor landscape industry.
LASAA's rising profile is evidenced by the
growing list of organisations knocking on its
doors for partnership and collaboration. Its
expertise and experience in outdoor
advertising are highly sought after at home
and abroad; and it is rising to the challenge,
offering mentoring and start-off support to
those who wish to set up their own signage
controlauthorities.
Notable among the Agency's new
collaborators is the South African signage
m o n i to r i n g a n d r e g u l a to r y b o d y,
Johannesburg Property Company, (JPC),
which has opened up channels of cooperation
withitsNigeriancounterpart.Themovebrings
with it opportunities for extending the
frontiers of knowledge on a diverse range of
activities and competencies in the outdoor
advertisingindustry.
PhotoCredit:ABIODUNOMOTOSO

ASAA is the preferred partner for stakeholders and other state
governments in Nigeria keen to maximise the potentials of
Loutdoor advertising in their respective areas. This was evident in
a training workshop held in Osogbo, Osun State, on 19th April, 2012, at
which key staff of LASAA participated. Temitayo Etomi (Special Adviser
to the Managing Director on Operations) as well as Kofoworola
Gbolasere and Mayokun Aofiyebi of LASAA's Corporate Affairs
Department featured prominently at the workshop, held at
Delightsome Hotels and Resort in the Osun State capital. In an
engaging lecture titled, 'Harnessing the Potentials of Outdoor
Advertising to Propagate the Six-Point Agenda of the Osun State
Government,' the trio shared LASAA's experience and expertise with
theircolleaguesoperatinginOsun.
Specially packaged for Osun State media persons by Concepts
and Contracts Limited, the workshop delved into the need for proper
management of state assets in order to bring about positive impacts
ongovernmentpolicies.
Etomi called on the Osun government to “identify and classify
its state signage assets.” This, she noted, would enable it account for a
proper management of these assets and ultimately, “institute a
medium of creative information dissemination owned and managed by
the state government which will boost the six-point agenda, whilst at
thesametime,generaterevenue.”
Another speaker, Dele Alake, veteran journalist and Managing
Director of Television Continental (TVC), shared the wealth of his
experience with the delegates. Addressing “The Challenges of
InformationGeneration,DisseminationandPropagation;Conscien-
tising the Public on the Merits of the State Government Six-Point
Agenda,” Mr. Alake called on journalists and media executives in the
state to make themselves “indispensable for the system.” He stated
that “strategic communication management should be used
devastatingly to gain public confidence.” The media veteran further
added that media attention should be focused on the developmental
projectsofthestategovernment.
Other speakers and participants at the training included the
Commissioner for Information and Strategy for Osun State, Sunday
Akere, who represented Governor Aregbesola; Kehinde Bamigbetan,
Executive Chairman, Ejigbo Local Government who served as training
moderator on the day; Bisi Akande; and Kayode Samuel, who delivered
alectureontheFreedomofInformationAct.
PREACHING
THE OUTDOOR
GOSPEL
IN OSUN
By Idowu Omisore
L-R: Mayokun Aofiyebi, Temitayo Etomi, Kehinde Bamigbetan (Chairman, Ejigbo Local Council) and Kofoworola Gbolasere
005 | Outdoorable
OsunState
EkitiState
Nationwide
InOsunState,aLASAAteamcomprisingTemitayoEtomi,SpecialAdviserto
the Managing Director on Operations, as well as Kofoworola Gbolasere and
Mayokun Aofiyebi of the Corporate Affairs Department, was on hand to
shareideaswithcounterpartsinOsogbo.Inalecturetitled,'Harnessingthe
PotentialsofOutdoorAdvertisingtoPromotetheSix-PointAgendaofOsun
State Government,” Etomi canvassed the need for Osun State Government
“to identify and classify the State's signage assets.” This, she said, would
help to properly account for the management of the assets and ultimately
institute a mechanism of creative information dissemination, owned and
managed by the state, which will in turn boost the Osun Government's six-
pointagendawhilegeneratingrevenue.
A working visit to Lagos by Mr. Eleaza Olumuyiwa Ogunmilade, Director
General of the Ekiti State Signage and Advertising Agency (EKSAA), is also
yielding results. The visit and earlier parleys led to a partnership deal
between EKSAA and its Lagos counterpart; and a subsequent visit to Ekiti
by LASAA MD George Noah, underscored his commitment to the
arrangement. Accompanied by Ms. Etomi and Head of Corporate Affairs,
Temitope Akande, Mr. Noah said the purpose of the visit was to assist in the
regulatory and revenue-generation functions of EKSAA, including the
development of an Outdoor Masterplan, Signage Enumeration and
Situational Analysis, Image and Reputation Audit, Structure Segmentation
andPricing.
“We found during our visit that, Ekiti may not possess the population
and commerce of Lagos, but there are vast potentials of untapped
products and services to add more pep and aesthetics to the environment
aswellasincreaserevenue,”Noahobserved.
Mr. Ogunmilade expressed similar sentiments. “We recognise the
giant strides made by LASAA in recent years and hope we can benefit from
that wealth of experience,” he said. “This is a collaborative initiative; as
such we believe there are some areas LASAA too can learn from us. We
intendtoputinplacesystemstohelpusrunefficiently,inadditiontogiving
ourstaffrequiredtrainingforthejob.”
LASAA's preliminary report on the EKSAA DG's working visit has been
sent to him, and Ekiti Sate Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi, for consideration
and requisite action. The report is expected to help redefine the Ekiti
outdoor landscape in a way that will not escape the attention of the target
audience, practitioners, tourism investors and all who appreciate the
aestheticbeautyofthestate.
Similar collaborations are ongoing with the Ogun State Signage and
Advertisement Agency (OGSAA) and the Oyo State Signage and
Advertisement Agency (OYSAA). As it helps others to achieve the dream of
establishing their own outdoor regulatory bodies, LASAA is becoming the
gold standard in the advertising signage field. It is now setting its sights on
bringingtoexistencearegulatorybodyforadvertisingpracticesinNigeria.
Agency officials say the proposed body is aimed at providing an efficient
and effective framework as well as guidelines for outdoor advertising
control, one which will also promote sustained economic growth, and
contribute to the conservation of tourism while assisting the growth of
newerregulatoryagencies,amongstothergoals.
In its vision to nurture a unified outdoor advertising regulatory
organisation and ultimately a member organisation with similar bodies
across the globe, LASAA is living up to its reputation as a touchstone in the
industry. It hopes to create a platform for sharing ideas, protection of
industry interests and general collaboration for sustainability in the
emergingworld.
“GIS Map software
will aid the online
tracking of all
outdoor structures,
applications and their
processing,
facilitating the
prompt delivery of
services”

MD/CEO of LASAA, George Noah, joined others in
welcoming the development of the giant structure. “Our ultimate
goal is to create an outdoor advertising world that will rival top
cities in the world. The unveiling of the largest outdoor structure
in Africa by Primedia is certainly a huge step towards achieving
our outdoor master plan,” Mr. Noah enthused. He reiterated that
LASAA will continue to collaborate with practitioners and other
stakeholders to deliver an aesthetically pleasing skyscape that
willtransformthefaceofLagos.
The TBS tower outdoor structure is set to clock up an
average of 1.5 million views daily, thanks to clear sightlines from
many Lagos locations. It can be seen from the Third Mainland
Bridge, Eko Bridge, Carter Bridge, Bonny Camp, the Boat Club,
Radisson Blue Hotel on Victoria Island, and many other parts of
LagosIsland.
Primedia reports an encouraging response to the structure, and
the company is busy fielding enquiries from advertisers.
“Immediatelythestructurewashoisted,Samsungwasthefirstto
show interest in the towers, although for a very short campaign;
and upon seeing the impact of the towers, several prospective
clientshaveindicatedinterest,”Oyedejisaid.
Formerly known as Race Course, Tafawa Balewa Square is
named after the first Prime Minister of independent Nigeria. Its
towers (each 60 metres high) were constructed in 1959. The
potential advertising space on each tower is 1600 square metres.
It all adds up to an irresistible setting for outdoor practitioners.
And so, to Tafawa Balewa Square's gigantic horses and
monumental Eyo masquerade sculptures is added another icon:
Primedia'stoweringnewstructure.
· The TBS structure is temporarily rested but Primedia Out
Of Home Nigeria assures that it will be back soon to
displaysomeofthebestadvertisingontheseshores.
“The unveiling of the
largest outdoor
structure in Africa by
Primedia is certainly a
huge step towards
achieving our outdoor
master plan”
005 | Outdoorable
Photo:Dargrace
afawa Balewa Square, site of many historic occasions in the
past, now has another distinction, as host to the largest
Toutdoor structure in Africa. With an imposing 3200 square
metres of advertising space, the ambitious structure is mounted on
the twin towers of the monument, popularly known as TBS. The
structure is set to become one of the most sought after outdoor
spacesinLagos,asoveramillionpeopleadaywillseeanyadvertising
displayed there. The unveiling, in August 2013, created much
excitement in the industry and advertisers are lining up to be among
thefirsttotakeadvantageoftheprimelocation.
Niyi Oyedeji, Managing Director of Primedia Out of Home
Nigeria, owners of the structure, revealed that it was completed at
AFRICA'S BIGGEST
OUTDOOR STRUCTURE
Twin towers of the TBS host 3200sqm of advertising
space
006 | Outdoorable
the cost of over 50 million naira. He said that the inspiration for the
scale and the design came from world famous structures like the
Ponte Building in Johannesburg, South Africa; and One Times
Square, New York. It was a delicate process preparing the site,
according to Mr. Oyedeji. “Mini brackets were fabricated to fit to the
side of the entire stretch of the towers to create extra support for the
structure. We also brought in experts to supervise and certify the
strength of the structure as being able to withstand the strong
Atlantic wind,” he disclosed. Deployed for the successful completion
werenewgeneratorstopowerthemaximumstrengthlightsfornight
illumination, security, a specialised team to flight banners, and the
printingofthemassivebannersneeded.

he Executive Governor of Lagos State,
Babatunde Raji Fashola was given a rousing
Twelcome when he paid a courtesy visit to
LASAA recently. The visit, on 18 July, 2013, marked
the Agency's move to its showpiece new Head
Office along Mobolaji Johnson Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.
Mr. Fashola's memorable visit, tagged 'The
Apprentice', had an interesting twist, as the governor
was put through the typical daily activities of the
Agency. It was rounded off with a short presentation
by LASAA MD, George Noah. Accompanied by the
Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello, the
governor inspected the various departments, seeing
for himself the high standard of service provided by
theAgency.
The governor interacted with members of
staff and commended the great strides of LASAA
whilechallengingthemtoreachforgreaterheights.
GOVERNOR FASHOLA
VISITS LASAA
005 | Outdoorable
The Lagos Governor waves to staff of the Agency
George Noah (r) makes a presentation to Governor Fashola during
the latter's visit to LASAA
George Noah (r) makes a presentation to Governor Fashola during
the latter's visit to LASAA

he Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge is a thing of beauty. An architectural cantilever principle, utilising tailor-made launching girder and lifting
masterpiecethatissettobecomeamajortouristattraction,the frames.
Tbridge is one of the new icons of Lagos; and was commissioned “The pylon with its two curved legs characterises the
by Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola on May 29, 2013 as part of the appearance of the bridge. Up to a height of 50 metres, the pylon is A-
Democracy Day celebrations. Celebrated as a major dividend of 14 shaped, after which the pylon legs change form and curve outwards to
years of Nigeria's democracy, the suspension bridge was conceived by the top... For inspection and maintenance purposes, both pylon legs
the Fashola Administration in 2008 and was opened to the public a as well as the main bridge superstructure are accessible from the
merefiveyearslater,onJune1st,2013. inside.
The cable-stayed bridge was constructed at the cost of 29
“The foundation comprises close-end driven steel piles “with a
billion naira and delivered by Julius Berger Plc. According to the
diameter of 914 millimetres and an average length of 50 metres were
Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure for Lagos State, Obafemi
used. These steel castings were then reinforced and filled with
Hamzat, the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge “was designed to service and
concrete. The pylon structure is built on 43 bored piles with a diameter
provide access around the Elegushi Roundabout and Lekki Phase I.”
of1,524millimetresandamaximumof75metres.”
Dr. Hamzat noted that the axis “is the fastest growing real estate
Present at the commissioning of the historic bridge werecorridor in Africa. It recorded tremendous growth in the number of
dignitaries including former governors of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateefpeople residing or working along the corridor. This led to the need to
Jakande and Brigadier-General Mobolaji Johnson (Rtd); Oba of Lagos,create an alternative route. Our choice is this new cable-stayed link
HRM Oba Rilwan Akiolu I; former Secretary to the Government of thebridge,thefirstofitskindinWestAfrica.”
Federation, Yayale Ahmed; and the Deputy Governor of Lagos State,
Wolfgang Goetsch, MD of Julius Berger Plc, briefed on the
AdejokeOrelope-Adefulire.
technical details of the 1.358 kilometres bridge, which boasts an
elegant pylon that dominates the skyline on its end of Lagos. Goetsch
said the bridge “has two principal parts: a 722-metre long full 'span
approach bridge' on the Lekki side located just above water level and a
635-metre long cable-stayed bridge with a precast structure called
the'mainbridge'.
“The main bridge is suspended from a 91-metre high pylon
and provides the 9-metre headroom above water level to allow for
maritime traffic. All bridge deck elements were pre-fabricated in
Julius Berger's production facilities here in Lagos. The span elements
of the approach bridge were installed by two specially designed
launching girders. The main bridge section comprises pre-cast
segmental box girder elements, installed according to the balanced
“Our choice is this new
cable-stayed link
bridge, the first of its
kind in West Africa”
AN ICON FOR LAGOS
Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge is the
newest tourist attraction
in the city
Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge is the
newest tourist attraction
in the city

he Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) is
to work in collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces and
Tthe Police to tackle illegal outdoor structures in the barracks.
Longstanding discontent over violations of the Lagos State
Structures for Signage and Advertisement Laws 2011 (as amended)
could have set the Agency and the security forces on a legal collision
course. Any such escalation proved unnecessary, however, as the
Military and the Police came to an agreement with LASAA on the
peculiarities of their locations, while accepting the Agency's
regulatoryfunctionsregardingoutdoorstructuresinLagosState.
In a two-day retreat held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Festac
Town, Lagos on 6th and 7th September, 2013, the Agency charted a
way forward with representatives of the Military and the Police.
Tagged 'LASAA, Military, Police, Operators of Mandate Collaboration
By Kofoworola Gbolasere
Retreat', the retreat was aimed at defining
the roles of the respective stakeholders in the
industry.
The situation on Army, Navy and Air
Force bases, as well as Police Barracks, had
hitherto militated against LASAA's stated
objectives, constituting a major impediment
to the attainment of the Agency's
beautification and regeneration goals. A
recent survey showed that over 350
billboards and signages on Military bases and
Police barracks across the state were in
direct contravention of the law. Notable
among these were structures on prominent
sites including: Bonny Camp, Victoria Island;
Police Barracks, Apapa; Police Medical
Services Headquarters, Falomo; Army
Cantonment, Ikeja; and Marda Barracks in
Yaba. Many failed to make the grade in terms
of size, quality, materials used, proximity to
other advertising structures, location and
degreeofillumination.
Unipoles (single pole structures
carrying a load of over 400kg) were of
particular concern. An audit found that no
fewer than 15 of these were newly erected in
the Lagos suburbs of Awolowo Road (Ikoyi),
Yaba, Obalende, Victoria Island, Onikan and
Surulere. At least 31 similar structures were
at the same time being cast at several
locations across the state. This, despite
Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji
Fashola's directive outlawing Unipoles; and
the Agency's notification to all practitioners
of its plans for their gradual elimination.
Unipoles are often erected within residential
areas, across link roads and highways; and
completed within 10 days or less – from the
casting of the foundation to the erection of
the various membranes. It will be noted that
they usually require a period of four months
for proper construction and erection. Lapses
in the deployment of outdoor advertising
hoardings can lead to grave consequences,
as demonstrated when a 72-sheet Unipole
collapsed around Falomo Roundabout, Ikoyi,
Lagos,in2012.
The lack of due care in the erection of
structures, therefore, has severe
implications for physical and urban planning
operations in the state. Hardly any
consideration is given to the type of structure
being deployed vis a vis the land use of the
area – whether Residential, Commercial,
Restricted or Educational – the types of
buildingsandsurroundinginfrastructure.The
Agency commenced a systemic elimination
by designating “No Unipole Zones”, only to
find many more surfacing overnight in the
mostinappropriatelocations.
LASAA currently has 708 Third Party
billboards and outdoor advertising structures
registered on its database. A staggering one-
third of Third Party structures in Lagos State
are illegal. Many are located in and around
Federal Government Institution territories,
especially military and police zones - areas to
which the Agency's officials typically had no
access.
The proliferation of illegal structures
is also a major impediment to the safety,
security and the social and economic
advancement of Lagos residents. For
example, at least 70 billboards were found to
havebeenerecteddirectlybeneathorcloseto
high-tension electrical cables. 54 were in
dangerous proximity to drainage channels,
while 34 were within distances of less than 40
metres.
All that is set to change, as
stakeholders at the retreat deliberated on the
modalities for registration and regularisation
of outdoor advertisement structures within
Military and Police formations. Representing
the Lagos State Ministry of Justice was Mr.
Lanre Akinsola who raised a six point agenda,
whichwasadoptedasaguidetowardsfinding
a lasting solution to the issue. Top on the
agenda was the process of seeking approval
for new outdoor advertisement structures
withinmilitaryformationsinthestate.
A review of existing structures on
Military and Police bases is to be carried out
and adjustments made, in order to achieve
conformity with LASAA's vision. The Agency
will collaborate with consultants and
personnel of the Military and Police, to ensure
a transparent and objective consideration of
all their requests for approval of outdoor
advertisement structures. Medspace
Managers (outdoor consultants to the Army)
aswellasrepresentativesofotherformations
(Navy, Air Force and the Police) will therefore
present all future applications for sites within
military premises to LASAA for final approval.
Agency officials are now assured of access to
Military bases and barracks in order to carry
outtheirduties.StructureswithinMilitaryand
Police premises that meet the requirements
willbeconsideredforanupgradebyLASAA.
In addition, the retreat cleared a path
through a most contentious area of illegal
advertising signage in Military and Police
locations, that of lost revenue. It is a shortfall
that has given rise to complaints and
petitions to LASAA from the Outdoor
Advertising Association of Nigeria. Sub-
standard structures on Military and Police
formations cost less to erect and maintain,
and so their advertising rates are cheaper,
inviting greater patronage. For practitioners
who operate within the law therefore, illegal
structures create a depression in the
company accounts. While the regulatory fees
for maintaining a Unipole structure amount
to N2.000.000 (two million naira) per annum,
an illegal structure can be leased for
N800,000 (eight hundred thousand naira).
Registered outdoor advertising practitioners
invest significant resources in constructing,
maintaining and marketing well-built
structures but lose out as the business goes
elsewhere.
The knock-on effects of the practice
are just as dire for Local Governments across
Lagos State. On the 350 illegal structures
discovered, local and state governments lose
an estimated N380.000.000 (three hundred
and eighty million naira) in revenue annually.
This represents losses on Third Party
structures alone; there are thousands more
signagesthathaveeludedLASAA'saudit,until
now. But relief is on the way, as fees will now
be payable to LASAA by consultants and
outdoor practitioners who deploy outdoor
advertisement structures within Military and
Policeformationsinthestate.
LASAA COLLABORATES WITH
MILITARY AND POLICE ON
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
Breakthrough in two-day retreat on
illegal structures in the barracks
015 | Outdoorable 016 | Outdoorable
“A recent survey showed that
over 350 billboards and
signages on Military bases and
Police barracks across the state
were in direct contravention of
the law”
Billboard interferring with electricity powers lines at Army Cantonment, Bonny Camp

It doesn't end there. Stakeholders at the
retreat also agreed on the need to streamline
the number of structures that clutter up spaces
like Bonny Camp. This is welcome news. Experts
have raised concerns about the visual clutter
occasionedbyanover-saturationofadvertising
messages. Researchers at Princeton
University's Neuroscience Institute found a
connection between visual clutter and the
“mental chaos” that severely restricts the
ability of the brain to focus and process
information. Another study in Australia
established the link between the visual clutter
of advertising billboards erected less than 60
metres apart, and the visual distraction that
impairs driving abilities, with the potential to
increaseroadaccidents.
With the new rules of engagement
betweenLASAA,theMilitaryandPolice,itseems
betters days are here for outdoor advertising on
the barracks. Managing Director of LASAA, Mr.
George Noah, expressed satisfaction with the
outcome of the retreat, noting that the
intention had been to “reach an amicable
ground in the area of outdoor structures within
the military and police formations.” He added
that LASAA has the mandate to regulate
outdoor structures within the state and will
strive to achieve an outdoor scenery that will
compare with cities around the world. He thus
enjoined the military and police to collaborate
with the Agency in order to achieve the
uniformityofoutdoorstructuresinthestate.
Police formations. Representing the
Lagos State Ministry of Justice was Mr. Lanre
Akinsola who raised a six point agenda, which
was adopted as a guide towards finding a
lasting solution to the issue. Top on the agenda
was the process of seeking approval for new
outdoor advertisement structures within
militaryformationsinthestate.
A review of existing structures on
Military and Police bases is to be carried out and
adjustments made, in order to achieve
conformity with LASAA's vision. The Agency will
collaborate with consultants and personnel of
the Military and Police, to ensure a transparent
and objective consideration of all their requests
for approval of outdoor advertisement
structures. Medspace Managers (outdoor
consultants to the Army) as well as
representatives of other formations (Navy, Air
Force and the Police) will therefore present all
future applications for sites within military
premises to LASAA for final approval. Agency
officials are now assured of access to Military
bases and barracks in order to carry out their
duties. Structures within Military and Police
premises that meet the requirements will be
consideredforanupgradebyLASAA.
In addition, the retreat cleared a path
through a most contentious area of illegal
advertising signage in Military and Police
'Let us reason
together' -
delegates in
conversation
LASAA MD George
Noah in
conversation
with Lieutenant
Samuel Fiyai of the
Nigerian Navy over
lunch
locations, that of lost revenue. It is a
shortfall that has given rise to complaints
and petitions to LASAA from the Outdoor
Advertising Association of Nigeria. Sub-
standard structures on Military and Police
formations cost less to erect and maintain,
and so their advertising rates are cheaper,
inviting greater patronage. For
practitioners who operate within the law
therefore, illegal structures create a
depression in the company accounts. While
the regulatory fees for maintaining a
Unipole structure amount to N2.000.000
(two million naira) per annum, an illegal
structure can be leased for N800,000 (eight
hundred thousand naira). Registered
outdoor advertising practitioners invest
significant resources in constructing,
maintaining and marketing well-built
structuresbutloseoutasthebusinessgoes
elsewhere.
DISCOUNTS APPLICABLE
ŸEffective January 2014: All Light Emitting Diode
(L.E.D) structure owners within Military and Police
formations to pay 50 per cent of annual rates,
payable to LASAA, on business districts and
airport rates.
ŸEffective June 2014: Owners of other structures
(unipole, ultrawave, billboards – 46/96 sheets) to
pay 50 per cent of annual (pro-rated) rates,
payable to LASAA, on 'restrictive' zones as
classified by the Agency.
ŸAll structure owners to pay concessionary sum
of N500,000 in 2013, to enable Military/Police
representatives sensitise owners of
advertisement structures about developments
resulting from the new partnership.
OUTCOMES OF THE RETREAT
ŸConsultants or personnel of the Military and
Police are recognized as 'landlords' of their
premises and may charge fees for erection of
billboards, payable by outdoor advertising
companies.
ŸConsultants and other appointed
representatives of Military and Police formations
to pay annual registration renewal fees of
N100,000, as applicable to all outdoor
advertisement agencies registered with the
Agency.
ŸLASAA to give preferential billing rates to those
who deploy structures within Military and Police
formations, to enable 'landlords' maximise the
revenue derivable from outdoor advertisement
within their locations.
ŸLASAA to give 50 per cent discount on rates
payable by those who deploy billboards on other
outdoor advertisement structures within Military
and Police formations in Lagos State.
“
Olamide Oyegoke
of the
Enforcement
Department and
Akaninyene
Akpan of Lagos
State Police
Command, Ikeja
Bukky Ayodele,
Head of
Innovation
and Design at
LASAA, makes
a point
MD George
Noah
with members
of the Armed
Forces at the
retreat
Olumide Sogunle
(LASAA Deputy MD,
right) and a
military delegate
The retreat sought a way forward on illegal structures on military formations

025 | Outdoorable
uccessful cities around the world
recognize that a key element of their
Splanning strategies is the conscious
integration of outdoor advertising structures
to improve the urban landscape, image,
character and quality of life of residents. Cities
noted for their urban design such as Paris,
Geneva and Dubai to mention a few, have taken
care to conceptualise and articulate a
common vision and goal for their metropolitan
precincts. They acknowledge that, without a
clearly defined plan, the potential success of
urban renewal efforts is liable to be
compromised. To guard against this, they have
drafted plans to guide the development and
deployment of structures in and around their
ruralandurbanspaces.
A major focus of the plans is the
Outdoor Signage/Billboard Master Plan, a
guide that creates a design vision and an
action plan for how outdoor advertising would
enhancethelook,feelandcharacterofacity.
Proposed plan will provide a holistic
breakdown of the ideal vista of Lagos
OUTDOOR MASTER
PLAN TO DELIVER
THE LAGOS OF
LASAA'S DREAMS

uch master plans take into
consideration factors including
Sdesign, illumination, format, quality of
construction material, spacing, positioning
and integration into the environment where
theyaredeployed.
Thanks to LASAA, Lagos is to join the
league of Paris, Hong Kong and others by
launching its own Outdoor Master Plan, a
carefully designed layout of the desired look of
the streetscape and skyline of Lagos State. A
lot of effort and innovative thinking has gone
into the proposed plan which, by the time it is
fully implemented, will provide a holistic
breakdown of the ideal vista of Lagos. In a
major orientation drive, many outdoor
practitioners have already been asked to
redesign their structures to be in line with the
vision. In other cases, new cutting edge
designshavebeendeployed.
LASAA MD, George Noah, shed some
light on the project: “After almost five years of
our operations, LASAA will embark on this
journey to create our vision for how outdoor
advertising will enhance the character and
aesthetics of our great state. This Master Plan
will enable us pictorially answer crucial
questions such as: what kind of signs can I put
up in certain areas (for example, Central
Business Districts, Market places, areas of
historical importance)? What are my
obligations regarding landscaping and
beautification?”
He further indicated that, while some
areas would be designed to allow for maximum
innovation and creativity in order to drive
commerce and tourist activities, others would
be designated Restrictive or Prohibited areas.
Whatever the locality, the Agency assures that
all structures reflect the energy, passion,
creativity and uniqueness of the people of
Lagos State. According to Noah, “This would
definitely help bring our vision for Lagos State
to life and help us reduce costs, as the Plan...
would, as clearly as possible, provide guidance
on grey areas before practitioners or signage
owners visit our offices. They would know with
theclickofabuttonthattheplanisforallareas
and how they must deploy their signage or
outdoorstructuretoconformtothevision.”
The self-help focus of the Master Plan
will help cut down on the time practitioners
expend on consulting the Agency on basic
aspects of the industry, and will help reduce
bureaucracy, allowing for more effectiveness
allround.
“At the end of the day, we would have
created and shared our collective vision, and
fast tracked our plans to ensure the urban
regeneration and rejuvenation of Lagos State
using outdoor advertising structures,” Noah
concluded.
LASAA invites suggestions and
feedback on the implementation of the
initiative. The Lagos Outdoor Master Plan is to
be shared with members of the public on
completion, so that all of the city's residents
canhaveaccesstotheguide.
“LASAA will
embark on this
journey to
create our
vision for how
outdoor
advertising will
enhance the
character and
aesthetics of
our great
state”

“LASAA and Insight Communications
have displayed great ingenuity in
delivering outstanding advertising
campaigns”
Trophy haul unprecedented
in public sector
LASAA WINS BIG AT LAIF AWARDS
he Lagos State Signage and
Advertisement Agency (LASAA)
Tbagged eight awards at the recently
concluded 2013 Lagos Advertising and
Ideas Festival (LAIF). The awards ceremony,
held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria
Island, Lagos, was the culmination of the
40th anniversary celebrations of its
organiser, the Association of Advertising
Agencies of Nigeria (OAAN). LASAA’s gongs
were part of a massive haul of 26 awards
carted away on the night by its creative
partner,InsightCommunications.
According to the organisers, this
year’s awards, tagged ‘It’s a Gr8 LAIF’, were
held in recognition of “great ideas as well as
marketing communications excellence.”
LASAA’s eight awards consisted of gold,
silver and bronze in four main categories,
namely: Press, Outdoor, Radio and
Television. The Agency’s success was
unprecedented; not in a long time has a
public sector organisation had such a
remarkablewinningstreakataprestigious
showcaselikeLAIFAwards.
Managing Director of LASAA, George K.
Noah, noting that the awards ushered in a
new dawn in the arena of public sector
campaigns, thanked the organisers for
celebrating the fruits of the Agency’s
successful partnership with Insight
Communications. He lauded what he called
the wonderful contributions of Insight
Communications to the production of the
exceptional campaigns that garnered the
awards. Mr. Noah expressed the hope that
the feat achieved through the collaboration
would help “ginger the various arms of
government and government agencies to
use the professional services of qualified
agencies in Nigeria like Insight
Communications.”
According to Bunmi Oke, President,
AAAN, the “LAIF awards seek to recognise
creative excellence, improve as well as
promote the spirit of healthy competition
whilst applying global best practices.” In
thisregard,shenotedthatLASAAand
Insight Communications have displayed
great ingenuity in delivering outstanding
advertisingcampaigns.
S a m O s u n s o k o , A c c o u n t
Management Director for Insight
Communications, beamed with pride at the
awards.“Thislatestwincontinuesthetrend
in which we are recognized both locally and
internationally for what we do,” he declared.
Osunsoko affirmed the company’s
commitment to building strong and
formidable brands that will always win in
themarketplace.
Over the years, LAIF has become
perhaps Nigeria’s most coveted awards
when it comes to celebrating creativity in
advertising. It draws advertising gurus and
agencies from all over Nigeria to the annual
ceremony. A total of 21 agencies vied for
laurels in this year’s awards, which saw
LASAA and Insight Communications top the
chartsinallcategories.
Brand Category Title Class of Award
1 LASAA Radio – Corporate Image Lottery Gold
2 LASAA Radio – PPSC Fire Gold
3 LASAA Television – Corporate
Image
Lottery Silver
4 LASAA Television – PPSC Lottery Silver
5 LASAA Radio – Corporate Image Fire Silver
6 LASAA Radio – PPCS Lottery Silver
7 LASAA Radio – Corporate Image Villager Bronze
8 LASAA Radio – PPCS Villager Bronze
006 | Outdoorable

What opportunities do
ambient media present to the
operators of outdoor
advertising and sign makers?
By Babs Fagade
hat was previously a very predictable consumer
modelintermsofincomebracket,race,interestsand
Wlifestyle goals has become a constantly evolving
selection of people that is almost impossible to bracket or box,
turningcommercialmarketingonitshead.
There is a new buzzword for all these accessible media -
ambientmedia.Ambientmediaisfarmoreaccessibleandhasa
far greater reaching potential than conventional outdoor
advertising media, simply as a result of its nature. Also known
as 'alternative media', it refers to non-conventional advertising
that is more specifically consumer focused, and aimed at the
consumeratatimewhenitwillbemoreeffective,attimeswhen
they are mobile or active, and at times when they are more
receptivetotheadvertising,aswellasclosertotheproducts.
So, what opportunities do ambient media present to the
operators of outdoor advertising and sign makers? Ambient
media includes wrap-arounds, shopping centres, taxi ranks,
campus promotions, branded cars, moving ads, on-pack
advertising, forecourt advertising, truck advertising, airport
advertising,stadiaandwashroomadvertising.
Currently only in Lagos, wrap-arounds refer to huge PVC
billboards that are placed around buildings, and structures,
particularly while they are being built. Wrap-arounds are
usually temporary, and last only while the renovations or
building is in progress. They can have a huge impact if done
correctly – as the building gets taller while it is being built, your
wrap can expand to cover huge areas that would otherwise be
almostimpossibletoadvertiseover,evenifonlytemporarily.
Alternatively, there is a growing trend toward wrapping
already erected buildings that are not used for anything else.
Such buildings are usually old and often decrepit, making them
an eyesore; and having a wrap-around on the building is often
far more attractive than the actual building face. There are
some buildings, particularly in the Lagos, however, that are
neither old nor decrepit and are used regularly for wrap-
arounds. A huge advantage to using buildings as a structure is
that it has height, framework and can be viewed from a
distance.APVCtypemeshbannermediacanbeusedinsteadof
a solid PVC banner media, which allows light into the building
and can be seen through from the inside, even though the
viewing quality of the wrap may not be as good. Tall buildings
that are wrapped provide a huge area for your sign to be viewed
- in areas that are densely populated during office hours - by a
hugecrosssectionofpeople.
With the advent of wireless media and portable workstations,
Wrap-Arounds
ShoppingCentres
shopping centres are home to far more
consumers on a daily basis. The introduction of
digital in-store signage allows the advertiser to
access his consumer at a time when he or she is
in a buying mindset, or in a relaxed frame of mind,
as well as when they are in close proximity to the
product. This shortens the time space gap
between when the consumer experiences the
advert and when they have access to the product,
increasing the effectiveness of the advert.
Plasma screens with running adverts are
increasingly being used in shopping centres, as
well as advertising on trolley handles and coffee
cups. Small adverts that are placed strategically
can have more of an impact with consumers than
a larger ad that is viewed in a different
environment when the consumer is less open to
yourcampaign.
As a hub of activity for large portions of every day,
as well as home to traffic from a huge portion of
the population, taxi ranks present a large
marketing opportunity for those willing to invest
the time and research into creating an effective
marketing strategy. Because people spend time
at a taxi rank waiting for taxis both before and
after work, there is a market for a variety of
products, and a time frame where the same
market will certainly be in one place, at the same
time, every day. With the advent of portable
branded kiosks and stalls, branding has been
made easier and cheaper for the marketers to
access a huge section of their target market.
Placing barkers and stalls at taxi ranks gives you
access to a captive market that is probably going
to be in proximity to your product for a set period
of time, every day. A branded stall or kiosk will be
an effective method of creating brand awareness
and with large potential for accessing new
potentialcustomers.
These can apply to trucks, cars, taxis or basically
any surface on a vehicle that will allow for a self-
adhesive substrate or magnetic sheeting to be
attached to it. Effective both as part of long and
short term advertising campaigns, branded cars
have the advantage of reaching a vast and mobile
audience. Its viewing potential increases
exponentially compared to that of an advert that
isstationary,andtheadvertisementisfairlyquick
and inexpensive both for application and
removal. The vinyl graphic remains clear and bold
for three to five years after it has been applied.
Once removed from a car, a new graphic can be
applied to replace the old one without damaging
the paint or affecting adhesion of the second
application. Depending on the kind of exposure
that you are looking for and the market you are
aiming at, vehicle branding on different vehicles
increase the level of your exposure dramatically
andquickly.
Research has shown that on pack advertising has
a direct effect on the consumer market – it is
closest to the time when they are buying the
product,andisthelastopportunitytheadvertiser
TaxiRanks
BrandedCars
OnPackAdvertising
has of persuading the customer to purchase their
product. On pack promotions, tear off recipes or
coupons, or competition forms are the most effective
forms of on pack advertising that have an effect on
thecustomer.
Often overlooked, this kind of branding has the same
benefits as vehicle branding, but is often not used to
its full potential. Marketers seem to be largely
unawareoftheeffectivenessofthistypeofbranding.
The sides of open trucks that are often
attached with ropes around the border can be easily
printed on to become an interesting advert rather
than a monochromatic piece of PVC. Similarly,
painting the sides of trucks that are not open, or
branding them with self-adhesive vinyl is far more
effective than a single colour along the side of the
truck
Moving ads attract attention through their motion –
think rotating standalone signs and dart ads. These
are usually portable, easy to store, inexpensive and
requireminimalmanpowerortimetoinstall.
One of the least complicated types of advertising,
requiring minimal financial input, refers to the poster
boxes on the back of toilet doors and washrooms in
the public sector. Effective as a result of a captive
market, in order to have maximum impact,
advertisers will often have more success with a wry
approach to the advert rather than a conventional,
practicalone.
Ambient media is on the increase in many
countries, and the opportunities for huge advertising
potential are limitless, if marketers get on board and
use resources that are, for the most part, already
available. As markets and advertising evolve in this
country,merelykeepingupissimplynotanoption.
TruckAdvertising
MovingAds
WashroomAdvertising
“Barkers and
stalls at taxi
ranks give
you access
to a captive
market that
is probably
going to be
in proximity
to your
product for
a set period
of time,
every day”
AMBIENT
MEDIA
Turning OOH on its Head
OUTDOOR
REPUBLIC

OBJECTS OF DESIRE
MEET THE OUTDOORABLE 5IVE
We profile some of the most
outstanding structures in the city
By Kofoworola Gbolasere
t is clear that in the world of out-of-home Invent Media's “facilities are made up of doubt, the innovative new arrival raises the bar
advertising, the regular everyday structure the largest collection of wide format digital in outdoor advertising in Nigeria and Africa as a
Iwill no longer do. There is an exciting new printers in the West African sub-region.” For whole. It doesn't end there. The water structure
shift in favour of standout, cutting-edge them, “marketing communication is integral to is expected to help generate a new riviera
designs that make unforgettable statements, business survival,” and comes with the scenery around the Marina, as restaurants and
while at the same time heralding a sea-change responsibility “to deliver the best customer bars are planned for the area. The Lagos Marina
in terms of aesthetics in their immediate service experience and superior returns at all ofthefutureisjustroundthecorner.
surroundings. All around Lagos, bold, futuristic times.”
structures are pointing the way forward in the On the unique positioning of the
outdoor industry, and visionary practitioners are structure, Olasehinde disclosed that location is The innovative four-sided Vision LED E-
risingtothechallenge.Wepresentquickprofiles a top consideration for his agency, hence the Motion Cube takes pride of place at the First
of the Outdoorable 5ive in the Lagos cityscape, choice of the Adeniji loop of bridges that Roundabout (Admiralty Roundabout) along the
andthebrainsbehindthem. complements the imposing size of the Lekki-Epe Expressway. Gravity-defying and
structure, giving advertisers optimum value for tilted, it almost makes viewers hold their heads
theirmoney,withhighaestheticbeauty. at an angle in wonder. The first of its kind in
Structures don't come more The Adeniji Iconic is notable for many Nigeria, the Cube's dimensions are 4.096m ×
spectacular than Invent Media's outstanding reasons, not least its role as cover image for the 4.096m each on a pitch pixel measuring
butterfly shaped display, which takes pride of revised edition of Chief Femi Ajayi's book, 10.667mm. With a ground space of 1.8m and a
place on the Adeniji Adele Interchange. It is a 'UnderstandingOutdoorAdvertising'. maximum total height of 5.9m, the structure,
spellbinding sight for thousands of commuters The eye-catching structure is a designed in-house by the E-Motion team, more
daily in its prime location, at the point where the pleasant feature for residents and visitors in the than holds its own in our Outdoorable 5ive. E-
Third Mainland Bridge links with Lagos Island. city, and has redefined the scenic quality on its Motion's Cube is only the second of its kind to be
The Adeniji Iconic, as it is popularly known, is one endoftheThirdMainlandBridge. erected in the world; the first went up in
of the best loved outdoor advertising displays in Malaysia, while Thailand trailed a distant third,
the city, and it's not difficult to see why. The afterNigeria.
larger than life back-to-back dual display that It's a brave new world on the Lagos E-Motion was set up in 2005 and quickly
takes centre stage on the Adeniji loop, hits the Marina, where a breathtaking water advertising grewintooneofthebestOut-of-Homeagencies
viewer where it matters, making this one of the screen was unveiled earlier this year. The in Nigeria, and prides itself as “the most process
choicestadvertisingspacesinthecity. innovative digital projection which covers 200 driven” outdoor advertising company in the
A remarkable 500 square metres in size square metres of water area, is the very first of country. E-Motion is the sole advertising agent
(250sqm per face), the well-articulated its kind in the whole of Africa, and wowed all who for the Lekki Concession Company (LCC),
structure is the first of its kind in the state. witnessed the launch. The dreamy aqua-wonder monetising some 0-15km of the Lekki-Epe
Invent media Limited said that careful represents the realisation of the vision of Spot Concession Road for the LCC. At the helm of the
consideration went into its design, driven by the on Media, which worked with LASAA and the agency is the dynamic duo of Sim Shagaya and
need to make a difference in the industry. “A Lagos State Water Ways for the successful Demola Gbadegesin, who serve as MD/CEO and
butterfly cannot be compared to a hawk. When execution of the project. It's no tall tale; water Director respectively. Shagaya and Gbadegesin
you see our iconic digital display, you see all the advertising has arrived in the city built on the are graduates of the Harvard Business School,
qualities that set us apart,” said Orogun lagoon and it's here to stay. Utilising a variety of with impeccable professional pedigrees; but
Olasehinde, General Manager of Invent Media. media including moving images and laser they are not about to rest on their oars, and are
He further stated that the company offers and graphics, the display comes with a powerful rear determined to maintain their innovative streak.
maintains “choice outdoor sites that stand out HD colour video projector and a water jet Not for them the forgettable billboards that
all year round.” Few who have seen The Adeniji sprinkler system that is set to transform the blend into the background; the more dominant
Iconicwouldarguewiththatassertion. Marina, especially at night. It certainly gives a and outstanding the structure, the better. With
Invent Media was incorporated in 1992 newmeaningtoEkoAtlantic. practitioners like these, there is little doubt that
with the vision to “provide the best of services to Thousands got a sneak preview of the thefutureofoutdooradvertisingisindeedbright
meet visual communication aids and billboard water advertising at the Lagos Countdown's inNigeria.
sites.” The agency has broken new frontiers in water projection on New Year's Eve, 2012. Now
the outdoor advertising industry, most notably the eagle has landed, to the delight of all. MD of
with its launch of the first LED display in the Spot On Media, Sesan Ogunro, allowed himself a If there were a competition for the most
industry. “Our diverse range of clients benefit smile of satisfation at the unveiling. The water ambitious outdoor display in Nigeria, then
from... practical mixed ideas tailor-made to advertising, he informed, will “project as many Primedia Out of Home's imposing structure,
address specific needs; it is our culture to asfivetotendifferentadvertsintermittentlyand mounted on the twin towers of Tafawa Balewa
ensure that our concept harmonises with and has the [capacity] to recycle the water into Square (TBS) in Lagos, would be a serious
supportourclient,”Mr.Olasehindesaid. energy to power the display system.” Without contender. Covering a space of 3200 square
E-Motion
InventMedia
SpotOnMedia
PrimediaOutofHome
“A butterfly cannot be
compared to a hawk. When you
see our iconic digital display,
you see all the qualities that
set us apart”

“Water advertising has
arrived in the city built
on the lagoon and it's
here to stay.”
“With practitioners like E-Motion, there is
little doubt that the future of outdoor
advertising is indeed bright in Nigeria”
metres, it is the biggest structure Nigeria took their inspiration from space. in its crown: the first curved light
in Africa - and advertisers are iconic locations like New York's After its successful test- emitting diode (LED) structure in
reportedly falling over themselves Times Square. Founded in 2007, run, Primedia has temporarily West Africa. A nine by six metres
toshowcasetheirproductsthere. the company is a subsidiary of rested its prized structure for double sided curved screen
The 50 million naira South Africa's Primedia Ltd. keener calibration, so that it will representation with an elevated
structure is one of many world- Leveraging on its wide experience come back even better and height of over 60 metres, the
beating new designs which show from the South African outdoor stronger. So, in short, if you find structure is surrounded by four
that LASAA's relentless drive for a industry, Primedia Out of Home yourself passing anywhere near elaborate water fountains which
more beautiful Lagos skyscape is Nigeria aims to “engage in large TBS soon and see the sky-high togethercreateastunningvista.
bearing fruit. As MD of the Agency, scale projects whose benefits structure, don't blink and wonder if Owners of the structure,
George K. Noah, enthused at the create rewards to a range of you're in South Africa or America. Clearedge Media Limited, engaged
launch, “The unveiling of the stakeholders over a period of time ThisisLagos. the best of Chinese engineering
largest outdoor structure in Africa and with long term goals.” The expertise to assess and design the
by Primedia Out of Home is company self-funds its projects magnificent structure, with the
certainly a huge step towards such as the monumental TBS After four years of intense final installation and set up
achieving our outdoor master structure,leavingnodoubtastoits planning, creativity and over a handled by local professionals. In
plan.” status as a big player in the million dollars spent, the Oshodi true Clearedge style, the emphasis
Primedia Out of Home Nigerian outdoor advertising Heritage Garden revealed the jewel was not just on erecting an
ClearedgeMediaLimited
Seeing is believing - E-Motion's Cube at Lekki Phase One Roundabout

“If you pass
anywhere near
TBS soon and
see the sky-
high structure,
don't blink and
wonder if you're
in South Africa
or America”
“Clearedge
locations defy
the norm; we
combine
spectacular
structures
with stunning
scenic views
to deliver the
complete
package”
innovative structure, but also on creating an conceiving the Maryland Tunnel), the same “Our avowed belief is that when things are done
aesthetically pleasing environment to enhance thinking and the same feeling to Oshodi, and that right,theimpactiseverlasting-thatiswhyweaim
thequalityoflifeforLagosresidents. was why Oshodi came out to be what it is… to the for environmental artistry and scenic
The Park is powered by a 200KVA transformer with acclaimofallthathaveseenit.” beautification.”
two supporting generators of 200KVA and 65KVA The mission of Clearedge is to “provide
respectively. An underground sprinkler system incomparable visibility of clients' outdoor advert
wasalsoinstalledtomaintainthelushgrassinthe intents through unconventional creative inputs
garden. and technology that compares to global best
Thanks to its location in the heart of the practices, with sensitivity to local flavour and
ever bustling Oshodi – one of the major transport regulations whilst staying ahead of competitions
and commercial hubs of Lagos - it is estimated at all times.” Clearedge parades talent and
thatthestructureaveragesabout1.2millionviews expertise in conventional billboards display, rental
daily. And there's more good news for advertisers, and fabrication, wall murals, media campaign
as Clearedge is working to install an iris capture planning and execution, civic beautification
mechanism on the structure, to obtain eye-view alongside a host of other exciting out-of-home
recordsofthestructureonadaytodaybasis. practices. “We are a company that not only
Clearedge Media Limited was founded in believes in sticking up structures, there has to be
2006 by Chijioke Alozie, Chairman and Chief more,”Aloziestated.
Executive Officer of the company, which is also Mr. Alozie noted that while some just set
responsible for the evocative Independence up structures, Clearedge aims at creating
Tunnel in Maryland, Lagos. “You would have seen advertising sceneries that people can walk into.
that the Maryland Tunnel was something out of “Our locations defy the norm; we combine
the ordinary,” said Alozie. He added that his spectacularstructureswithstunningscenicviews
company “transferred the same vision (used in to deliver the complete package,” he declared.
Is your structure Outdoorable?
Are you a practitioner who maintains a
structure you consider outdoorable? Or you've
sighted an outdoorable structure in your
environment you think is worthy of mention?
Then write to tell us in no more than 300 words
about the structure, explaining why you think it
is outdoorable. Please include two JPEG photos
of the display. Also include your name and
location. The best contributions will be
published in the next edition. The editor's
decisionisfinal.
Please send words and images by email to:
.outdoorable-mag@lasaa.com

Contrary to popular belief in society that Area Boys are
decadents driven by the unscrupulous motives to extort
and create chaos, a tale told by one of their very own,
Tunde Balogun offers a different perspective that calls
to question this hitherto held belief, revealing instead a
group of well organized and uncompromising loyalists
withcommittedcauses.
Tagged by outdoor practitioners as a 'network of
coordinated uncontrolled persons with territorial
control who effect judgment when ignored', Tunde
Balogun spoke up at a recent meeting of all
stakeholdersintheoutdooradvertisingindustry,heldat
the LASAA office. “We are young educated men (and in
some cases women) who have come together to ensure
activities within our jurisdiction are conducted
peacefully, provided the OOH and other business people
are willing to part with a token to enable the 'Boys' cope
with the harsh economic realities that exist in the
country,”saidBalogun.
The perspective of the Area Boys was such that, though
their modus operandi in carrying out their activities
might seem a little unorthodox, they always ensure
adherence to mutually agreed terms with all of their
'clients'. They recognized the penchant for citizens to
lookdownonthemsincetheydonothavethebackingof
either the law or enforcement agencies. However, the
area boys who have among them first degree holders,
polytechnic graduates and school dropouts, argued
that their quest is for a means of livelihood not available
fromgovernment.
Interaction with the echelons of the Area Boys
community revealed that their activities span across all
states of the federation; and the common denominator
- the need to keep body and soul together - gave rise to
theareaboysphenomenon.
Also in this edition is an exclusive interview granted by
Tunde Balogun, the leader of the area boys Gbagada
Constituency, which suggests that interaction with the
group, rather than disdain for their members, could
foster a safer and more secure environment for
practitioners within the out of home section of the
Nigerianeconomy.
005 | Outdoorable Photo Credit: FEMI ADEBESIN-KUTI
The story told by an Area boy
proves different when viewed
from a different perspective
AREA BOYS OF
NIGERIA
The story told by an
Area boy proves
different when
viewed from a
different perspective

A fresh perspective is given to the area boy
syndrome in this revealing interview with
leader of the Gbagada Constituency Tunde
Balogun.
I am Tunde Balogun. I head the Gbagada
constituency all the way to Bariga. I am
strongly involved in the out-of-home
business. I am well known by outdoor
practitioners [for] providing security to
outdoorstructures.
Weholdourplaceintheindustry.Ihavebeenin
this business of outdoor before LASAA was
established. We monitor and protect
billboards for practitioners and they pay us in
return. I know all the members of OAAN, I have
attendedtheirmeetingseverally.
(Smiles)Thisisamisconceptionthathasgone
on for very long. What we do is protect
billboards from saboteurs. We gave ourselves
the mandate that come what may, we will
ensure the safety of structures within and
sometimes outside our constituency even at
the expense of our safety. In exchange we
demand financial compensation in order to
keep body and soul together. We are not the
bad guys as perceived, instead we put
ourselvesatrisktofulfillourpartofthedeal.
Tellusabitaboutyourself
How do you see your position in the outdoor
industry?
Some practitioners are complaining that you
damagetheirbillboards,howtrueisthat?
Says Gbagada
Constituency
Leader, Tunde
Balogun
‘WE ARE
STAKEHOLDERS
NOT AREA
BOYS
Sohowmuchdoyouchargeperboard?
Sodoesthatguaranteethesafetyoftheboards?
Speaking of members, how many do you have in
yourconstituency?
So,acrossthestate,whatisthetotalnumber?
Doyouhaveafamily?
Whatisyourlevelofeducation?
Depending of the size and type of structure, we
collectaboutN200,000fora48SheetLED.Fora96
Sheet we collect N400,000. And we either collect it
at a go or in two installments. This money is then
sharedacrossallmembersoftheconstituency.
Nothing can happen to that board. When I, Tunde
Balogun, give my word, I keep it. I have once been
stabbed in the buttocks while protecting a
billboard. I will not collect money and fail to deliver.
We do not operate like that. I have a name to
protect.
In my zone, I have about 150 boys that work with
me.
We are about 35 to 40 thousand in all, and I am
foremost.
Not yet, although I have a daughter. And I plan on
settlingdownverysoon.
I have my school leaving certificate, although I
didn't finish my university degree. I have brothers
withmasters(degrees).
PhotoCredit:FEMIADEBESIN-KUTI
005 | Outdoorable
We monitor
and protect
billboards for
practitioners
and they
pay us in
return

agos State has declared war on the indiscriminate deployment
of posters and banners, with a ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy aimed at
Leradicating the menace. In line with the new approach, LASAA,
which has been battling posters on a daily basis, is getting even
tougher, with a major drive to ensure that offenders are made to see
theerroroftheirways.
Poster pasting is one of the factors working against the
beautificationofthecityofLagos.Itisapersistentactthatinvolvesthe
arbitrary display of posters, defacing many surfaces in the city and
resulting in the littering of its streetscapes. Since inception, the Lagos
State Signage and Advertisement Agency has consistently kicked
against this unbecoming practice, while at the same time raising
awarenessaboutitsnegativeimpactontheenvironment.
LASAA’s Enforcement Team has tackled the problem on all
fronts for many years. The department has in the recent past acquired
additional Ford trucks in order to boost its capacity and the
effectivenessofitsdailypatrols.HeadedbyOlamideOyegoke,theteam
(including security personnel and artisans) mounts daily patrols to
apprehend regular offenders; and launches a blitz on the illegality by
cleaninguppostersassoonastheyappear.
“Churches have remained persistent in the pasting of posters,”
notedOyegoke,whoseteamconstantlyadvisesreligiousorganizations
and other poster-prone parties of alternative methods of
advertisement, such as television commercials and handbills. The
department pays particular attention to areas of high incidence, with
the largest number of infractions observed in the Ifako-Ijaiye and
AlimoshoLocalGovernmentAreas.
The team has also been very pro-active in finding new ways of
dealing with poster offenders, who seem unrelenting in their activity
and constitute a major nuisance to the Lagos outdoor space.
Previously, the Enforcement department took action against
defaulters only after being notified by local governments, but changed
tactic in recent times, and took to writing letters directly to poster
ZERO TOLERANCE:
LASAA WAGES WAR
ON POSTER OFFENDERS
offenders. Failure to comply with the letter by removing the posters,
couldleadtoarrestandthepaymentofafine.
Faced with LASAA’s determined stance, poster offenders found
new ways to deface the city, principally by adopting wall writing as
advertisement, sometimes using paint. Officials also rose to this
challenge, even going as far as using hot water to flush the walls clean
of paint. The Corporate Affairs department complements these efforts
with concerted anti-poster campaigns on selected billboards and
operational vehicles. Temitope Akande, head of Corporate Affairs and
PR department, said anti-poster campaigns were part of a “renewed
communications strategy to enlighten the public on the determination
oftheAgencytoeradicateillegaloutdoordisplays.”
There can be little doubt, therefore, as to LASAA’s commitment
with regard to posters. And with Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s
recent ‘Zero Tolerance’ directive, the Agency is stepping up the war on
offenders. A team of 96 persons, reporting directly to the office of the
Managing Director, has commenced operations, in partnership with a
Poster Enforcement Task Force. They are fully trained and equipped to
carryoutaclean-upexerciseofposterswherevertheyarefound.
Oyegoke sends her 96-strong squad out on the streets day and
night. Her mandate is to eliminate poster pasting in the state; and she
insists the team is focused on the task at hand and will not be deterred.
Poster offenders who repent and turn away from the nuisance activity,
can also key into the drive. Second category employment has been
created for erstwhile offenders; they will be put in charge of spots
designated for regulated poster pasting, and will police unwanted
activityintheirjurisdiction.
With the steps being taken, officials are confident that walls
and other Lagos surfaces are now hostile territories for those who
pastepostersindiscriminatelyaroundthecity.“IfLagosistoreachthat
level of optimal aesthetic class where its streetscape and skyline can
favourably compete with top countries around the world, all hands
must be on deck to rid the state of poster pasting,” said Managing
DirectorGeorgeNoah.
Newanti-postermeasures
Poster Boards - LASAA has approved the deployment of poster
boards across the state, to be managed by former offenders. There will
be financial incentive for the board manager, who will be expected to
keep his or her designated area free of posters, and will be held
accountableforanybreaches.
96-strong squad on the
streets daily, as Agency
launches blitz on posters.
005 | Outdoorable
LASAA's Enforcement team works to rid the city of posters

he management of the Lagos State Signage and
Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has denounced the
Tcontinuous flouting of its laws by practitioners and
advertisers. Managing Director, George Noah, observed that
offenders are kicking against the laws governing the agency and
byextension,thelawsofthestate.
He expressed displeasure at the relentless activities of
individuals and organizations who continue with the infractions,
despite warnings and penalties issued by the Agency as regards
thearbitrarydeploymentofoutdoorstructures.
“Amazingly, these offenders are top companies and
qualified practitioners who understand the rules of the game,
yet… they go about defacing the cityscape with illegal and
unapprovedstructures,”Mr.Noahnoted.
He declared that the Agency will no longer tolerate such
infringements, and vowed that drastic measures will be taken
against culprits henceforth. “It is quite unlawful to consistently
carry out an act that the laws of the state otherwise state as
illegal,”heconcluded.
The Agency is to prosecute offenders to the fullest, going
forward.
LASAA FROWNS
ON PERSISTENT
OFFENDERS
“Oyegoke insists her team is
focused on the elimination of
poster pasting in the state and
will not be deterred”
Anti-Poster Software – The Enforcement
Department has developed a software application
aimed at tracking down the numbers listed on posters.
Defaulters will be apprehended after answering calls to
thelistednumbers.
Artisans to the Rescue - Artisans have been
deployed across all LASAA branches in the Local
government areas, to clean up their assigned spots
daily.
Fine - Defaulters are arrested regularly and
made to face the state task force. Fines are payable
afteradetentionof24hours.

Iconic structures are springing up at the roundabouts,
andthistrendwillspreadacrosstheentirestate
CIVIC BEAUTIFICATION
RINGING IN THE CHANGES
utdoor practitioners and private organisations are now even
moreinvestedinthetaskofkeepingLagosbeautiful,thanksto
Oa new initiative by LASAA. In an unprecedented move, the
Agency is involving the relevant stakeholders through the granting of
permitsforthebeautificationofroundaboutsandunderpassesacross
the state. The aim is to enhance the ever improving aesthetic quality of
thecityanditsenvirons.
According to Siraj Bello, Head of LASAA's Business
Development and Support Department, the strategic granting of
permits for beautification and landscaping is intended to achieve the
greater buy-in of selected practitioners. As an incentive, holders of
such permits will have the right to erect and display approved outdoor
advertising structures at the beautified locations that emerge from
thearrangement.
“This collaboration between LASAA and the involved private
parties will help achieve a higher level of beautification for the state,
particularly as the drive of the agency is to create an outdoor
environment that will rival top cities around the world,” George Noah,
MD/CEOoftheAgency,affirmed.
Already, the beautification and landscaping of the CMD
UnderpassisongoingthroughIntegratedBusinessKonsult,whichwas
granted the relevant approval to carry out the work. The company
promises to deliver the kind of beautiful scenery that will become a
touristattractioninitself.
“AlongtheLekki-Epestretch,iconicstructuresarespringing
up at the respective roundabouts, and this trend will spread across
the entire state,” said Noah. This is already evident at the Lekki
Phase One Roundabout, which is graced by an MTN branded
gigantic Cube Sign that drawsthe attention of all in the vicinity. New
innovative structures are planned to occupy the remaining
roundaboutsalongthisaxis.
Similarly, the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway is being revamped
for outdoor advertisement through careful redesign and planning.
Old run-of-the-mill structures are to give way for a more
contemporaryoutlook,withdesignsthatwill“literallytransformthe
physicallookoftheexpressway,”accordingtotheAgencyboss.
“This is part of LASAA's plan to redefine Out-of-Home
advertising in the state in line with the directives of Governor
Babatunde Fashola,” he said. “We have developed a new design for
the Apapa–Oshodi stretch, taking into consideration modern and
innovative outdoor structures that will complement the
environment.”
Asensitisationexerciseisongoing,toexplainthebenefitsof
the exercise to practitioners and to bring them on board with the
vision. The Agency has notified all whose structures are affected by
the plans, particularly owners of Unipoles. As compensation,
affected outdoor practitioners will have first right of refusal on new
structureswhentheexerciseiscompleted.
As it rings in the changes, the Agency has given notification
ofthepreferredstructurestypesforintegrationintothenewdesign
vision. These are: Portrait, Tower, Cladded columns, V-Shaped,
Boundary Wall signs, Bus Shelters and Street Furniture. While
allowances will be made for creativity in the new designs, certain
specifications are to be enforced, to ensure strict adherence to the
outdoormasterplan.
Officials say the redesign of the Apapa–Oshodi axis is just
one of many steps being taken by LASAA to implement the new
outdoor master plan, which will specify the type and location for
placement of outdoor advertisement structures. “This is the long
run will eradicate clutter and clustering, which the Lagos outdoor
advertising space was synonymous with a few years ago,” Noah
said.
The transformation the Oshodi area has won the
commendation of Lagos residents before, despite initial
scepticism. It is expected that such commendation will be
forthcoming again on completion of the current exercise, by which
timeApapa–Oshodiwillbewearingthedesirednewlook.
TransformingApapa–OshodiExpressway

By Zainab Adewale
Project will let advertisers
know how many people see
an outdoor advertising
campaign in specific
locations.
OUTDOOR ADVERTISING
AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT
COMMENCES IN LAGOS
e Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA)
hasrolledoutitsOutdooraudienceresearchproject,whichis
Texpected to reveal fascinating details about the visibility and
impact of outdoor adverts in the state. The first of its kind in West
Africa, the research will help generate audience estimates for
outdoor advertising, so that billboards and other signages can be
more profitably deployed. The initiative would also bring the
outdoor industry in line with published audience research in other
sectorsincludingRadio,Televisionandtheprintmedia.
LASAA officials say the data produced will let advertisers
know how many people see an outdoor advertising campaign in
specific locations, as well as the frequency of the views. The highly
specificresearchwillseetheaudiencebrokendownintotypologies
including: Age, Gender, Class and Lifestyle. The information
produced will be crucial to advertisers in planning and evaluating
advertisingcampaignsintheoutdoormediumacrossthestate.
h
communication opportunities. By
definingtheaudience,itwillbepossibleto
use the data to plan, trade and compute
valuation for the medium.” Noah noted
that it will lead to more targeted outdoor
advertisements, which will take account
ofawiderspreadoftheviewingpublic.
“We need to encourage outdoor
advertisers to consider more populated
areas such as Ikorodu and Alimosho. The
LASAA Outdoor Audience research we
believe,willrevealthemarketingpotential
of previously ignored areas.” Many Lagos
suburbs that have not seen a high take-
up in advertising signages may start to do
so, as the audience measurement reveals
their buying power, something outdoor
practitionerscannotignore.
In addition to billboards, outdoor
encompasses advertising on street light
poles, bus shelters, umbrellas, chairs,
ashtrays, beer mats, mugs, sandwich
boards, balloons, airships, floors, doors,
litter bins, supermarket trolleys, milk
cartons, the backs of supermarket
receipts Onlyrecently,ROUTE,anoutdoor
audience advertising measuring system,
waslaunchedintheUnitedKingdom.With
£19million investment in its research,
ROUTE records how many people saw an
advertisement, how often they saw it and
includes the profiles of the viewers. The
movements of about 28,000 people were
capturedinthefirstphasealone.
Like the UK project, LASAA's new
initiative is set to change the focus of
outdoor media planning in Lagos State
from the panel to the audience. The
Agency has consistently advocated for a
value-driven outdoor sector in light of
outdoor practitioners' concerns about
low revenue, and the audience
measurement exercise is expected to
contribute to a positive turnaround in the
industry.
.
“The LASAA Outdoor Audience
research we believe, will reveal
the marketing potential of
previously ignored areas”
The project is the first of its kind to be initiated in Nigeria
since outdoor advertising began in the country over 50 years ago.
Managing Director of LASAA, Mr. George Noah, talked up the
initiative, saying, “This is a defining moment in outdoor advertising
practice in Nigeria. For advertisers to make informed buying
decision, data analysis of the target audience is very essential.” He
stated further that, “Outdoor advertising markets in developed
economies are flourishing because data is available for both
buyers and sellers of outdoor spaces, to make informed choices
andcarefulplanning.
“We need to embark on a scientific audience research
measurement to enable the sector compete favourably with Radio,
TV and the press.” Noah explained that the outdoor sector needs a
people focused measurement system which will analyse audience
estimates, for the good of the industry. “Scientific audience
measurement will provide details of the Realistic Opportunity to
See (ROTS) [a signage], with eye-tracking studies which will gauge
the Likelihood to See (LTS) factor of the various types of display.
This will also account for scale, orientation, distance, movement,
illumination; and spatially analyse the sites in relation to
competitors,customerlocationsaswellastrafficpatterns.”
TheLASAAMDinformedthattheTrafficAuditcomponentof
the project will be of immense value to advertisers in the area of
accurate audience figures; it would also help them make informed
outdooradvertisingpurchases.“Themediumischangingatarapid
rate and we must think from the point of view of the audience, not
from the position of a billboard structure. If we start with a deep
knowledge of how people move about, advertisers can have the
flexibility to decide what they put in their way in terms of

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