Anambra Agency pulls down 850 illegal signage

Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State

Not less than 850 illegal signboards have been pulled down by the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ANSAA) for non-compliance with standard regulations.

The Managing Director of the Agency, Chief Jude Emecheta said this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while reviewing the activities of the agency from January to date at his Awka office on Thursday.

He said the billboards removed were 327 third party signage and 527 first party advert signs.

Emecheta, who is the pioneer MD of the agency, noted that outdoor advertising in the state was not considered as a serious business until he came on board, stressing that Anambra had been losing revenue for non-regulation.

He said the rating of the state in terms of outdoor advertising destination had improved from eight in January to the fourth position; the sector had now been sanitized and repositioned for greater effect.

“The signage sector in Anambra was chaotic, there was no regulation, people were distorting the aesthetics of the state with the indiscriminate erection of advert signs and the state was not earning revenue.

“All that has been taken care of by ANSAA. Advert signs should and must be paid for, especially third party outdoor signage; we have pulled down 850 of such illegal billboards between January and today.

“As a result of our activities, Anambra is now the fourth placed outdoor destination in Nigeria as against the former eighth position.

“Our targets are to maximize the strategic location of the state as a gateway to the South East and part of South-South to bring it to the second place after Lagos.

“I am happy to let you know that the firms and practitioners are already coming in to take the Anambra advantage,” he said.

Emecheta said the attitude of the people of the state to signage matters was changing positively, but pointed out that their challenges included resisting to accept innovation.

He said the operation was going on in Nnewi at the moment and would soon move into the major markets to ensure that there was compliance to standards.