By Dipo Olowookere
Members of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) have been urged to support the Lagos State government’s environmental sustainability programme by utilising recyclable materials.
Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, who made this appeal, also tasked the advertisers to ensure that the location or placement of advert billboards and signage conform to the standards set by the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA) in the interest of all.
Speaking at the 2018 ADVAN Awards for Marketing Excellence (West Africa), Mr Ambode explained that the appeal became imperative because of the continued danger the usage of non-recyclable materials for advertisements and brand projection constitutes.
The Governor, represented by Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, stressed the need for ADVAN to abide with regulatory standards in carrying out its activities, adding that LASAA as the ombudsman was established to regulate the placement or location of advert billboards or signage across the state hence, ADVAN must cooperate with the Agency in ensuring the sanitisation of the environment.
“While it is a fact that the advertising industry has a role to play in facilitating economic growth, we cannot overlook the fact that the state of the economy also has its impact on the industry and indeed other sectors of the economy.
“Therefore, as the government is working hard to build the enabling environment for the business and investment to thrive, the Advertising Association of Nigerian must synergise with government by upholding high professional standards and ethics of the profession,” the Governor opined.
Governor Ambode commended the leadership and entire members of the association for remaining true to the ideals of its founding fathers by sustaining the legacy of recognising innovative and effective contributions of stakeholders in the growth and development of marketing as a tool of economic development and growth.
“I commend the efforts of the leadership and entire members of ADVAN for their efforts towards entrenching professionalism in the advertisement industry in Nigeria.
“Although the industry has not grown to compare favourably with what obtains in developed economies, I believe that through the commitment, vision and resilience of practitioners, this industry has achieved so much in spite of the challenges facing the growth of the industry,” he noted.
