FCT to generate N3b from outdoor advertising, signage system
The new Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Outdoor Advertisement and Signage System has been packaged to generate over N3 billion as Internally Generated Revenue to the FCT administration yearly, the authorities have said.
FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed made the disclosure recently while flagging-off the new Outdoor Advertisement and Signage System Project in Abuja.
The minister explained that the project would be handled by Afromedia Plc, a consultant, while proceeds would be shared on 60, 20, 20 per cent basis between the six Area Councils, FCT Administration and the consultant respectively.
Mohammed recalled that the project was initiated because the outdoor advertisement system in the FCT was disorderly.
He lamented that billboards which litter the highways and streets of the territory were mounted at will, with most lacking in aesthetics.
According to him, the immediate consequences of these were severe danger to environment, traffic and pedestrians.
His words: 'Long range visibility was impaired with resultant accidents at major junctions due to sight blockages by billboards and outdoor advertisement posts.'
'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,' the minister lamented.
He said that the development was unacceptable for a capital city that aspired to join the ranks of the best 20 capital cities in the world by the year 2020, adding that the administration was therefore set to arrest the ugly trend.
While announcing the establishment of the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage, the minister remarked that the project was the result of a technical body his administration constituted to evolve an effective policy for the regulation of outdoor advertising and signage in the FCT.
Mohammed noted that the mandate of the body was 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 had shown high level of cooperation to the FCT Administration through out the conceptualisation 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 ran contrary to the good intentions in setting up this department.