Why we had no issues with LASAA, others over 2023 election campaign —OAAN president

PRESIDENT of Out-of-Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Mr Sola Akinsiku, has said the association did not have any issue with any state regulatory body over the last general election, unlike in 2015, because members are more circumspect and have taken some lessons from 2023 experience.

Akinsiku noted that unlike the experience of the 2015 general election when the association had to cry out over a debt of over N1 billion allegedly owed members by the Lagos State government for sites allotted to former President Muhammadu Buhari election campaign and that of a former governor of the state, Akinwunmi Ambode, the experience this time was seamless.

According to him, members involved in similar jobs this time around were able to firm up the contract papers and ensured that both parties lived up to the terms of the agreement before embarking on the projects.

While expressing the association’s regrets at the huge loss members suffered during the 2015 general elections, the OAAN president stated that though the issues were yet to be fully resolved, members involved had simply moved on.

“What that had taught us is the need for us to be more thorough. And I think this time around, that is why we are yet to receive any report regarding members being owed by state regulatory agencies over election matters or even politicians. Members are more circumspect now and wiser. They now ensure that for every contract, there is firm agreement backing it up,” he stated.

On what the future holds for sub-sector in the new year, the OAAN boss predicted a hugely positive outlook for out-of-home advertising.

Such optimism, he stated, is hinged on the increased national budget, which, for the first time, gave capital expenditure a substantial sum of over N9 trillion.

“What this simply means is that we are likely to see more spending on the government side. And the way economy runs is that when government spends, individuals and businesses in the economy will be better for it,” he stated.

Akinsiku also believes the reforms embarked upon by the Federal Government may begin to yield fruits in the new year with the sub-sector also well-positioned to reap from it.