Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) has disassociated itself from actions capable of endangering the lives and property of citizens, specifically as it concerned a giant billboard that has fallen twice at Surulere area, causing injuries and harm to lives and property in the area.
The agency assured that it would continue to ensure that structural integrity is maintained in the deployment of any advertising structure in Lagos as billboards capable of causing deaths or destruction will not be allowed to stand.
Responding to the urgent concerns raised by a group of military officers and their families living in Abati Barrack, Surulere, over the giant in their area, LASAA reiterated its unwavering commitment to ensuring the integrity and safety of all advertising structures across the state.
It said that the concerned billboard in Abati Barrack is not registered by the agency.
In a statement on Thursday, LASAA said that it had consistently made efforts before that incident to regulate all advertising structures within and around the military and police formations in the state, adding that it had however not being given the required support to regulate advertising structures within the military and police territories. ‘They are seen acting outside their purview. It is, however, important to allow LASAA perform its mandate without any fear or intimidation in the state to avert issues of falling advertisement structures and illegalities in these formations’, the agency said.
LASAA said that it had sanctioned and suspended the owner of the billboard, identified as Radius Resources Limited since 24 October 2024 due to unethical practice, saying it therefore had no right to reinstall the fallen billboard.
The agency also said that it issued a stop-work order to the company to ensure that accident does not recur at the location and has written to the management of the Army, informing them of the development and the necessity to halt all constructions at the site for re-assessment.
LASAA said it acknowledged the community’s alarm regarding the situation which happened without adherence to its regulations as the oversight raised significant concerns for public safety.
LASAA’s Managing Director, Prince Fatiu Akiolu said: ‘We strongly urge all entities, the outdoor advertising practitioners, including military, Air Force, and police formations, to collaborate with LASAA and comply with existing laws and regulations governing billboard installations. We must work together to ensure that advertising practices in Lagos are safe, respectful, and sustainable, while also prioritising the safety of lives and property of Lagos’ residents as well as visitors. The safety of our residents is our top priority, and we take incidents like this very seriously.” “We are dedicated to enforcing standards that protect the public from potential hazards associated with faulty or improperly installed billboards’.
LASAA said that it encouraged the public, including community members and relevant uniformed personnel to report any unsafe billboard installations or violations of our regulations. ‘By working in partnership, we can enhance safety and maintain the aesthetic integrity of our vibrant city, Lagos’, it further said.
