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No ₦700m Billboard Fee, Lagos Govt Clarifies, Puts Highest Monthly Rate At ₦10m
No ₦700m Billboard Fee, Lagos Govt Clarifies, Puts Highest Monthly Rate At ₦10m
Lagos State Government dismisses reports of a ₦700 million billboard permit fee, describing the allegation as fake news circulated to tarnish its image.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, says billboards are privately owned and the most expensive advertising space costs about ₦ 10 million monthly.
Government explains that LASAA is a regulator, not an operator, while outdoor advertising practitioners are required to pay a one-off, non-refundable ₦ 7 million registration fee.
State insists that political parties must comply with outdoor advertising regulations and says campaign materials will be removed after the elections at no cost to the public.
November 15, () – The Lagos State Government has dismissed reports alleging that it has imposed a ₦700 million fee for billboard advertisements in the state, insisting that the claim is false and that the highest monthly rate for an outdoor advertising space is about ₦10 million.
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The government described the allegation, which circulated on social media amid discussions about political campaign advertisements ahead of the 2027 general elections, as fake news allegedly being promoted by mischievous politicians and their supporters to damage its reputation.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who issued the clarification on Sunday, said the government neither owns nor operates billboards in Lagos, explaining that the advertising structures belong to private operators.
reports that Omotoso was responding to a social media post suggesting that the alleged ₦700 million billboard fee was responsible for the limited presence of the New Democratic Congress (NDC) on major roads in the state.
Dismissing the claim, the commissioner said: “This is a lie; 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 clarified that the most expensive billboard placement in Lagos costs approximately N10 million monthly, stressing that the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) does not operate billboards or determine the commercial rates charged by their owners.
“Billboards are owned by private operators. The most expensive billboard is about ₦10 million 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 maintained that Lagos remained committed to providing equal opportunities for all political parties and candidates to publicise their activities, provided they complied with the state’s outdoor advertising regulations.
He urged political parties and their supporters to familiarise themselves with the applicable guidelines rather than accuse the government of imposing prohibitive advertising charges.
Providing details of the regulatory requirements, Omotoso said individuals and organisations seeking to register as outdoor advertising practitioners in Lagos must obtain a non-refundable registration form costing ₦7 million, register with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and fulfil other requirements prescribed by law.
He, however, clarified that the ₦7 million charge is a one-off registration fee for outdoor advertising practitioners and is separate from statutory permit fees payable to LASAA.
A representation of road activities in Lagos Photo credit Business and Transport
According to the government, billboard advertisements, including political campaign materials, must be displayed on approved advertising structures operated by registered outdoor advertising practitioners with valid LASAA permits. It said the structures must comply with established requirements relating to their locations, structural safety and environmental standards.
The government further explained that applicable regulatory fees payable by billboard owners are determined by factors including the size, format and location of advertising structures, with rates varying across designated zones.
It stressed that statutory permit fees payable to LASAA should not be confused with the commercial costs of media placement, production and other advertising services provided by registered outdoor advertising practitioners.
Omotoso also disclosed that LASAA had recently undertaken a public sensitisation exercise and stakeholder engagement on election campaign advertising guidelines. He said the exercise was designed to educate political parties, candidates, advertising practitioners and members of the public on the regulatory requirements governing outdoor political advertisements.
The commissioner said the agency would continue to enforce the regulations to ensure that all outdoor campaign materials complied with established standards. He added that LASAA would remove election campaign materials after the conclusion of campaign activities as part of efforts to restore the city’s appearance.
“After the election campaign activities, LASAA will remove all the communication materials to bring back the city to its visually-pleasing state at no cost to the public”, he said.
The government reiterated that LASAA’s statutory mandate was to regulate outdoor advertising, administer permits and ensure compliance with relevant laws, insisting that political parties and advertising practitioners must follow the established procedures for placing advertisements across the state.
