By Clifford Amuzuo
As political campaign activities heightened across the country towards the 2027 elections, the Out – Of – Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has cried out over what it conceived as indiscriminate and Outrageous costs been placed on billboards hoarding s in some States across the Federation.
The Association which is umbrella body for Out-Of-Home media advertising firms have strongly criticized the unfair and impartial Political Communications process perpetrated by some state government authorities describing the development unjust and capable of destroying the fragile democratic culture across the country.
Addressing Marketing Communications Industry Journalists during a media briefing session ahead of the forth coming 2026 National Advertising Conference (NAC), organized by Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), the OAAN President, Dr Shola Akinsiku lamented the growing ugly situation in some states across the country where cost of billboard hoarding on political campaigns has gone as high as between N100, 000 to N200, 000 million for media exposure.
The OAAN President also criticized vehemently the ongoing discriminatory practice in some Northern states where only politicians from the ruling party are permitted to display campaign hoardings on certain routes while politicians of the opposition parties are denied the opportunity.
According to him, such a development is grossly against healthy political communication and is injurious and inimical to the growing demographic culture in the country.
“ We are all witnesses to what is going on in our country with Political Communications . Only yesterday, I I got information from one of the northern states where in some routes , only the party in government can do OOH”
“ Across the country today your have all kinds of rates approval by state governments. In one of the states for instance , for you to do presidential campaign it is up to N200 million. In another one, it is N150 million and in another one its N00 million”
If I were to campaign as a presidential candidate, I am to spend a minimum of N100 million in each of the states and Abuja which is about a total of N3 billion on OOH alone”
This is inimical to growth of healthy demographic culture and I think this is the time to rise up and speak about political Communications in our country because it is something that will affect all of us “.
The OAAN boss further called on the NAC organizing Committee on the need to refocus the Conference objectives and prioritize conversations around issues affecting Out of Home advertising sector which, according to him , is the most traumatized sector of the Nigerian Marketing Communications industry.
