Lagos Govt Denies Raising Billboard Permit Fee To ₦700m

The Lagos State Government has denied claims that it increased billboard permit fees to ₦700 million, describing the reports circulating on social media as false.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said this in a statement on Sunday, clarifying that the government neither owns nor operates billboards in the state.

The clarification follows social media posts and radio commentary alleging that the purported ₦700 million fee had prevented the New Democratic Congress (NDC) from displaying campaign materials along Lagos roads.

Omotoso dismissed the allegation, explaining that billboards in Lagos are owned and operated by private advertising practitioners, while the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) serves only as a regulatory body.

He said the most expensive billboard in the state costs about ₦10 million monthly, adding that LASAA does not determine the commercial rates charged by billboard owners.

According to the commissioner, the agency’s responsibility is to regulate outdoor advertising, administer permits and ensure compliance with established laws and standards.

He explained that anyone seeking to operate as an outdoor advertising practitioner in Lagos must pay a one-off, non-refundable registration fee of ₦7 million to LASAA, register with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and fulfil other statutory requirements.

Omotoso also clarified that the registration fee and statutory permit charges payable to LASAA are separate from the commercial costs of billboard placement, production and other advertising services provided by private operators.

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

Such structures, he added, must meet regulatory requirements relating to their locations, structural safety and environmental standards.

The commissioner further explained that applicable permit fees for billboard owners vary according to factors such as the size, format and location of advertising structures, with different rates applying across designated zones.

On preparations for the 2027 elections, Omotoso said LASAA had recently conducted a public sensitisation exercise to educate political parties, candidates, advertising practitioners and members of the public on the guidelines governing election campaign advertisements.

He added that the agency would remove campaign communication materials after the elections at no cost to the public, as part of efforts to restore the state’s visual environment.

The commissioner maintained that Lagos remained committed to providing equal opportunities for political parties and candidates, urging political actors to comply with established outdoor advertising regulations.