As part of the ongoing urban renewal project, the Kwara State Government has set up a Task Force on advertising and signage Restructuring to enhance the state’s aesthetics and standardize outdoor advertising within and outside the metropolis.The Committee Chairperson and Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bolanle Olukoju, stated this in Ilorin today while inaugurating the committee at the Ministry’s Conference hall.
Olukoju noted that the initiative aligns with efforts to modernize kwara, improve public safety, and ensure compliance with global best practices in advertising.She disclosed that “the taskforce will oversee a structured enforcement of advertising and signage regulations, starting with the removal of unauthorized billboards, poster and light pole banners in Ilorin metropolis before extending it to other parts of the state.
”In a related development, the inaugural meeting of the committee was held today, after the inauguration, Chaired by Hon.
Olukoju assured them that, the stakeholders’ engagement remains a priority adding that consultations will continue as the events unfold.
The Commissioner 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, with members as follows: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.
The Commissioner disclosed 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.