The relationship between Outdoor Agencies Association of Nigeria (OAAN) and Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) seems to have got worse, despite an earlier indication of friendship, which led to the setting up of a reconciliation committee earlier in the year.
The committee which is made up of members from OAAN and LASAA was established in the spirit of harmony, and its terms of reference were to address areas of disagreements between both parties, with a view to restoring normalcy, in the overall interest of the industry. But several months after the body was set up, it is yet to have its first meeting.
The General Secretary of OAAN and Managing Director of 21st Century Media, Femi Ogala, confirmed to MARKETING EDGE in an exclusive interview recently that the body was yet to have its inaugural meeting. This is despite repeated calls by OAAN members for the committee to meet. No reason has been given by LASAA for failing to honour the meeting.
“We have not been able to meet, we have been asking for a meeting. The last time we were to meet they shelved it,” Ogala said.
The failure of the committee to hold a session and the seeming non-committal attitude of the regulatory agency has ramped up tension in the industry and even further undermined efforts at finding a lasting solution to major issues like payment on vacant billboards.