The Lagos State Government has refuted claims that it increased billboard permit fees to N700m, describing the allegation as false and maintaining that the most expensive billboard advertisement in the state costs about N10m monthly.
The government clarified that billboards are owned and operated by private advertising practitioners, while the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency is responsible for regulating outdoor advertising in the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, stated this in a statement on Sunday while reacting to a social media post alleging that the purported fee hike was responsible for the absence of National Democratic Congress campaign materials on Lagos roads.
The social media post had claimed, “That is why you hardly see NDC on Lagos roads.”
Dismissing the allegation, Omotoso described it as “a piece of fake news meant to tarnish the image of the government by mischievous politicians and their social media bullies.”
“They should be ignored and allowed to swim in their ignorance,” he added.
The commissioner explained that the state government neither owns nor operates billboards, stressing that LASAA only performs regulatory functions.
“Billboards are owned by private operators. The most expensive billboard is about N10million monthly. The government does not run billboards.
“The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) is only a regulator, not an operator,” he said.
Omotoso further clarified that regulatory charges imposed by LASAA were distinct from the commercial fees paid for media placement, production and other advertising services rendered by registered outdoor advertising practitioners.
He said the applicable regulatory charges for billboard owners depend on the size, format and location of the advertising structures, with varying rates across designated zones.
The clarification followed a claim by the Director-General of the NDC Presidential Campaign Council, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, who alleged that Lagos charged “almost ₦700 million” for a licence to erect a political billboard.
Abdulkarim made the claim during an interview on Nigeria Info FM 99.3 on November 13, linking the alleged cost to the party’s limited outdoor campaign visibility ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the party had opted to focus on grassroots mobilisation, adding, “We now decided, let us be our own billboard.”
Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the NDC.
Omotoso also disclosed that anyone seeking to operate as an outdoor advertising practitioner in Lagos State must pay a non-refundable one-off fee of N7m, register with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria and meet other statutory requirements.
He said political campaign advertisements must be placed on approved structures managed by registered practitioners with valid LASAA permits.
According to the commissioner, the structures are also required to meet established standards on location, structural safety and environmental compliance.
He added that LASAA had recently organised a public sensitisation exercise on election campaign advertising guidelines to educate political parties, candidates, advertising practitioners and members of the public on the regulations.
Omotoso said the agency would continue to monitor outdoor campaign advertisements to ensure compliance with the stipulated rules.
He further stated that LASAA would remove political campaign materials after election activities without charging the public, as part of efforts to restore the state’s visual appeal.
“Lagos will continue to be the bastion of democracy and equal opportunities for all politicians and their parties,” he said.
