Lagos denies N700m billboard fee, says highest advert costs N10m monthly

File: The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotoso,

The Lagos State Government has dismissed claims that it increased billboard permit fees to N700m, describing the allegation as false and insisting that the most expensive billboard advertisement in the state costs about N10m monthly.

The government said billboards were owned and operated by private practitioners, while the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency only regulated outdoor advertising and did not determine the commercial rates charged by billboard owners.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, stated this in a statement issued on Sunday in response to a social media post alleging that the purported fee increase explained the absence of National Democratic Congress campaign materials on Lagos roads.

The post had stated, “That is why you hardly see NDC on Lagos roads.”

Describing the claim as false, Omotoso said it was “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.

He said the government did not operate billboards, stressing that LASAA was a regulator and not an operator.

“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 explained that the fees payable to LASAA were separate from the commercial costs of media placement, production and other advertising services provided by registered outdoor advertising practitioners.

He said applicable regulatory fees for billboard owners varied according to the size, format and location of advertising structures, with different rates applying across designated zones.

• NDLEA intercepts 25kg meth hidden in breakfast cereal from South Africa
• Prosecute electoral violence suspects or face legal action, SERAP tells INEC
• United Nigeria Airlines backs Traders Cup

The statement follows a claim by the Director-General of the NDC Presidential Campaign Council, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, who stated that Lagos was charging “almost ₦700 million” for a license to erect a political billboard.

Speaking during an interview on Nigeria Info FM 99.3 on November 13, Abdulkarim linked the cost to the party’s limited outdoor visibility ahead of the 2027 general elections and said the NDC had decided to rely more on grassroots efforts, adding: “We now decided, let us be our own billboard.”

Peter Obi is the party’s presidential candidate.

The commissioner also said anyone seeking to practise as an outdoor advertising practitioner in Lagos State was required to pay a non-refundable, one-off fee of N7m, register with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and fulfil other statutory requirements.

He added that billboard advertisements, including political campaign materials, must be displayed on approved structures operated by registered practitioners with valid LASAA permits.

According to him, the structures must also comply with established requirements relating to location, structural safety and environmental standards.

Omotoso said LASAA had recently conducted a public sensitisation exercise on election campaign advertising guidelines to educate political parties, candidates, advertising practitioners and members of the public on the applicable regulations.

He said the agency would continue to ensure that all outdoor campaign materials complied with the rules.

The commissioner added that LASAA would remove campaign materials after election activities at no cost to the public to restore the city’s visual appeal.

“Lagos will continue to be the bastion of democracy and equal opportunities for all politicians and their parties,” he said.