We need you in our struggles, OAAN courts brand writers

THE umbrella body of outdoor advertisers in the country, the Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), has appealed to the nation’s league of brand writers, the Brand Journalists’ Association of Nigeria (BJAN) not to relent in bringing the plights of outdoor advertisers in the country to the fore.

Making the plea in Lagos during the official visit of the BJAN team to the association, the President of  OAAN, Chief Emma Ajufo, expressed the need for more collaboration, between the two associations to enable outdoor advertising to survive the ongoing regulatory onslaughts from some states’ signage agencies.

He expressed the hope that with the support of the nation’s brand writers, the association would be well-placed to deliver on its mandate of delivering quality outdoor advertising services, without fear of harassment from the regulators.

According to him, the outdoor advertising business in Nigeria is currently under pressure; since many of the state governments now see the sector as the veritable alternative to crude oil.

The OAAN’s boss argued that with the right enlightenment and education coming from BJAN, the state governments would be more business-friendly in their policies.

“I think BJAN has a role to play in all this since state governments now see outdoor ads as alternatives to oil. I think there is the need for that enlightenment and education by BJAN because we believe if we have such in place, state governments would not just wake up one day and give practitioners 48 hours to remove their billboards,” he stated.

Speaking earlier, the chairman of the association, Clara Okoro, had explained that the  courtesy visit was meant to deepen the bond existing between the two bodies.

She expressed the optimism that the enhanced collaboration between the two associations would go a long way in addressing some of the challenges being experienced by practitioners in the sector.