Kwara State Government has inaugurated a Task Force on advertising and signage Restructuring to enhance the state’s aesthetics and standardize outdoor advertising within and outside Ilorin Metropolis.
The Committee Chairperson and Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, stated this in Ilorin today while inaugurating the committee at the Ministry’s Conference hall.
Mrs Olukoju noted that the initiative aligns with efforts to modernize kwara, improve public safety to ensure compliance with global best practices in advertising.
She disclosed that the taskforce will oversee a structured enforcement of advertising and signage regulations
The Commissioner explained that Committee would start with the removal of unauthorized billboards, poster and light pole banners in Ilorin metropolis before extending it to other parts of the state.
Mrs Olukoju assured them that, the stakeholders’ engagement remains a priority as the consultations would continue as the events unfold.
She thereafter outlined the task force’s key responsibilities, which include identifying and removing unauthorized and improperly erected billboards and advertisement structures, engaging stakeholders (both public and private), within the advertising and outdoor media sectors, to ensure compliance and develop a sustainable framework to prevent future violations.
According to her, the task force is made up of representatives from key government agencies and the private sector including Chairperson Commissioner for Communications, Co-Chair: Commissioner for Works and Transport, while committee members are: the General Manager, Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency, Representative of Kwara State Ministry of Environment and Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA)
Others are; representatives, of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigerian Police Force, Private Sectors, the Managing Director, AKOT Prints, and a Senior Administrative Officer of the Ministry of Communications, as Secretary.
Mrs Olukoju maintained that there will be no registration or renewal of billboard licenses until further notice, to enable the state to finalize a new regulatory framework.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammed, assured the public that all enforcement activities will be carried out professionally and in the best interest of the state’s development.
