The Out-Of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) recently held the 39th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association on August 16, 2024 at Ibadan Oyo State with the theme: Redefining OOH Media In Nigeria: The Practice, The Business And Value Creation. The well attended AGM commenced with a session that had the acting governor of Oyo State, Bar. Abdurahman Adebayo Lawal, former APCON Chairman, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, frpa, Representative of ARCON Chairman, Chairman Heads of Advertising Sectorial Groups (HASG), Mr. Lanre Adisa, frpa, President, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Mr. Dozie Okafor, Director General, representative of EXMAN President, Mrs. Tolulope Medebem, Oyo State Signage and Advertisement Agency (OYSAA), Mr. Oludolapo Eso-Ajanaku, heads of different regulatory agencies including Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Director, Corporate Communication and Strategy, LASAA, Mr. Temitope Akande, Ekiti State Signage and Advertisement Agency (EKSAA), Kwara Sate Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA) and other invited guests in attendance.
In the speech delivered by the acting governor of Oyo State, Bar. Abdurahman Adebayo Lawal who was the guest of honour at the 39th AGM of OAAN, urged Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising practitioners and other stakeholders to be innovative, adhere to professionalism, abide by regulations, and collaborate with the government to sanitize the OOH advertising industry.
Many state governments around Nigeria have relied on this particular concern to institute different regulatory agencies that have really been seen as antagonistic, exploitative, destructive and largely anti-business, the fear was directly addressed. While also congratulating the association on the AGM, the acting Governor of Oyo State, Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, however, charged the leadership of the association to quickly address the issue of indiscriminate display of signages in the state.
“The environment is fouled. Billboards are being erected anywhere and everywhere in the state. There is this new road that we have just commissioned and what we are seeing there now are different posters, defacing the whole median.”
“I think there should be a way of regulating all these. For instance, there is a way you can insist that those posters should bear the telephone number of whoever is posting them to enable you track owners of such posters,” he stated.
He also called on the association’s leadership to do everything within its powers to fight charlatanism within the practice before they put the real professionals out of business while insisting on quality signages and billboards that will enhance the cityscapes, the acting governor assured the association of the state government’s commitment to ensuring an enabling environment for the practice to flourish.
He added, “during election season, the role of outdoor advertising becomes even more significant. We must collaborate to ensure that the advertising space remains orderly, that rules are strictly adhered to, and that our state remains a model of civility and decorum during this critical period. Hence, your first challenge is that of regulation and I have listened and believe that the Bill coming up will address the issue of charlatans occupying spaces illegally.”.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Prima Garnet, Lolu Akinwunmi, frpa, in his paper titled, ‘Redefining OOH Media in Nigeria: The Practice, The Business and Value Creation,’ noted that though OOH has evolved over the years, the practice is still confronted by challenges, which have continued to hold down its growth.
In his delivering as the guest speaker, the former APCON Chairman, Mr. Akinwunmi went down memory lane stating that OOH media remains the confidence symbol in the media mix from inception. He added that OOH has a huge history in Nigeria being the first known form of advertising since 1928 and that it has continue in recent times to reveal different innovations like the light emitting diode (LED) boards, moving media and street furniture. He added that OOH media remains a crucial component in the marketing mix for brands. He further stated that the market is getting more saturated, especially the cityscapes, thereby limiting the options of practitioners. He, therefore, advised OOH practitioners on the need to restrategise and rejig their operations to enable them to scale these hurdles and reposition their businesses for the much-desired growth.
Mr. Akinwunmi also believe that the deplorable state of the nation’s infrastructure and the hostile regulatory environment have not helped the cause of the OOH practice in the past few years. He reckon that time has come for practitioners to diversify their client base and also explore businesses in the public sector. “Practitioners should be thinking about doing business with government since there are a lot of business opportunities there,” he stated.
He suggested ways of improving and growing the OOH business such as uniting across sectors to help businesses, operating flexible practice model, efficiency, value added services (analytics, creative design etc), local transformative advertising, trust building in relationship with the client, innovative payment solutions, new revenue streams, partnerships, offering of competitive rates and services and creation of measurable values for businesses.
The OAAN president, Mr. Olusola Akinsiku, frpa, while opening the AGM session welcomed stakeholders to the 39th AGM of the association and acknowledged the challenges faced by the sector. It is on the same matter of challenges the he highlighted the importance of the Bill for a Charter for Out-of-Home Media Assets Ownership and practice in Nigeria that recently passed the second reading on the floor of the National Assembly. He explained that the bill upon being passed into law will help to accelerate the growth of the Out-of-Home media industry and the entire advertising fraternity.
He added, “Let me add at this point that, contrary to postulations in certain quarters, the Bill will not in any way contradict or contend with the current powers of ARCON. It will, indeed help to further enhance the relevance of ARCON, and promote sanity in the Out-of- Home Media sector.”
He pointed out that the non-advertising aspects of OOH practice, which the bill now seeks to protect include the allocation of sites, environmental standards, engineering standards, professionalism, entry/exit barriers, safety standards, and others.
“The OOH practice in Nigeria stands on two legs. There is the advertising leg, which has to do with content. This is effectively managed by ARCON. But, there is also the other leg relating to the platform locations/sites, which directly impacts the environment. This non-advertising leg has been a cause of worry and challenges to business sustainability over the years. Thus, “Bill when passed into law will bring order to the aspect that relates to acquisition and ownership of billboard locations. It will remove the ambiguity and inconsistencies currently associated with this aspect of the business.”
He continued, “With this bill, the advertising aspect of OOH practice which rests in the hands of ARCON is intact and all obligations will continuously be fulfilled”. He further explained that the bill when passed into law will bring order to the aspect that relates to acquisition and ownership of billboard at various locations in the environment.
The Director General Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, (ARCON), Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, frpa represented by the Zonal Head, Ibadan, Office, Hadiza Bello in his remarks commended OAAN for successful outing in the last 39 years of its AGM.
While wishing them a successful deliberation during the AGM, Dr Fadolapo commended OAAN for its contributions to the economy over the years.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Heads of Advertising Sectoral Group (HASG) and President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Mr. Lanre Adisa, frpa, congratulated OAAN on its 39th anniversary, while assuring the association of the HASG and AAAN support.
The Group CEO, Noah’s Ark, added, “While we at the AAAN will always be ready to collaborate with you, at HASG also, we will ensure all stakeholders’ interests are protected”.
The President of Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN), Mr Dozie Okafor, commended the association on its exploits over the years, noting that despite the achievements, the sector has remained largely unsung.
According to him, some of the innovations the practitioners have brought into the practice have been able to attract huge investments to advertising. He added, “I believe some of the innovations you have brought into the business have actually resulted in huge investments from clients. A testament to the fact that OOH is not getting as much credit, as it should”.
In his address, Temitope Akande, Head of Corporate Communication and Strategy , speaking on behalf of Prince Fatiu Akiolu, the Managing Director of LASAA. emphasized the significance of the theme, highlighting how the convergence of technology, creativity, and strategic collaboration is reshaping the out-of-home (OOH) media industry. He stressed that this era of transformation calls for a rethinking of approaches, enhancement of operations, and collective efforts to create greater value for all industry stakeholders.
Akande outlined LASAA’s pivotal role as the regulatory body overseeing outdoor advertising in Lagos State, noting that the agency’s mandate extends beyond regulation to fostering an environment where innovation thrives and businesses grow. He underscored the importance of balancing creativity with compliance and innovation with regulation, identifying this balance as the key to true synergy within the industry.
Some highlights of the two days AGM that held between August 15th and 16th 2024 was a visit to University of Ibadan led by Vice President of the association, Mr. Omo Abunene, frpa, Immediate Past President, Chief Emma Ajufo, frpa, Publicity Secretary, Babs Fagade, frpa and few team members of the executive committee members where they conducted a training programme for students on the rudiments of OOH media practice in Nigeria.
Another orientation training was conducted on the evening of the same day for new members to be inducted into the association and this was again followed by a health talk to all members on the various ways of tackling some health challenges.
