Afromedia News

 The new FCT Outdoor Advertisement and Signage System has been packaged to generate over N3 billion as Internally Generated Revenue to the FCT Administration annually. The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed (CON) made this revelation while formally flagging-off the new FCT Outdoor Advertisement and Signage System Project on Thursday at the FCDA Conference Room, Central Business District, Abuja.

The Minister further revealed that the entire project would be handled by a consultant, Afromedia Plc where proceed is expected to be shared on 60, 20, 20 percent basis between the six Area Councils, FCT Administration and the Consultant respectively.

Senator Muhammed recalled that this project was initiated because the outdoor advertisement system was disorderly as bill boards were mounted at will, while most of them were lacking in aesthetics and littering the highways and streets. According to him, the immediate consequences of these were severe dangers to environment, traffic and pedestrians alike. His words: “Long range visibility was impaired with resultant accidents at major junctions due to sight blockages by billboards and outdoor advertisement posts”.

The Minister lamented, “painfully, we found that the existing administrative structure charged with the duty of regulating these practices was weak and in some cases there were multiple standards as well as conflicting administering agencies”. He stressed that his Administration considered this standard unacceptable for a capital city that aspires to join the rank of the best 20 capital cities in the world by the year 2020 and therefore set machinery in motion to arrest the ugly trend.

While announcing the establishment of the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage, the Minister remarked that the entire project was a result of technical body his administration constituted to evolve effective policy and institutional framework for the regulation of outdoor advertising and signage in the FCT.

Senator Muhammed noted that the mandate of the body is to provide a standard for the control and regulation of advertisement and signage practice in FCT by ensuring global best practice, improving internal revenue and stemming the observed chaos. He expressed delight for the collaboration of all stakeholders especially the six Area Councils and the FCT business community; adding that the Chairmen of the Area Councils have shown high level of cooperation to the FCT Administration throughout the conceptualization of the project.

The Minister however warned that the staff of the new department must be honest, diligence and resourceful as his Administration would not condone any act that runs contrary to the good intentions in setting up this department.

The FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide who was represented at the occasion by the FCT Acting Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Nuhu Ahmed recalled that the Committee set up by the FCT Minister headed by her came up with documents that ensured a solid framework for the project in line with the expectations of the Administration. She explained that the documents included a Memorandum of Understanding between the FCTA and the Area Councils; a Bye Law for each of the six Area Councils on Outdoor Advertisement and Signage as well as FCT Guidelines for Outdoor Advertisement and Signage.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Coordinator of the Abuja Infrastructure and Investment Centre, Mr. Faruk Sani commended the Ministers for providing the enabling environment to achieve this wonderful project. He said that with the revenue target of N3 billion per annum, a penalty mechanism, whereby if the consultant achieves less than 40 percent of the revenue target, 2 percent will be deducted from his fees.