Advertising experts push for new rules of engagement with LASAA
By Felicia Nwosu
In the quest to achieve progress and mutual beneficial collaboration in the partnership between the public and private sectors in Lagos State, stakeholders in the advertising industry have lent their voices on the need for an all-inclusive and participatory engagement between advertising practitioners and the Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency (LASAA).
The practitioners stated this position during a panel discussion titled: “Fostering Effective Collaboration Between Public Sector and Private Sector for Growth and Development in Lagos State, at the just concluded LASAA out-of-home Advertising Conference & Exhibition 2021.
The panel discussion which comprised some sectoral heads from the IMC industry and representatives from other regulatory agencies like NAFDAC and Consumer Protection Council, created an avenue for stakeholders to air some of their grievances over the advertising ecosystem.
Speaking from the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) perspective, Ediri Ose-Ediale, Executive Secretary of ADVAN, stated that about 50% of annual advertising spend is domiciled in Lagos State, noting that the same advertisers who are members of ADVAN, control 90% of that spend. She described it an obvious indication that advertisers are critical stakeholders that must be included in the state of affairs.
“Advertisers expect collaboration from inception, ideation to execution. For the advertisers, collaboration should be consistent; it should be to the very fabric of the structure of LASAA as an agency. It should state what the blueprint for outdoor advertising is, in the next 10-15 years, what value advertising can derive from being part of an outdoor agency. We would expect transparency in revenue realised and how it will be used for the growth of the industry in terms of data acquisition and acquiring latest trends in the outdoor advertising industry.”
She called for a well-structured stakeholders’ engagement that is all inclusive, participatory and encompassing. “In terms of partnership, advertisers are asking for a mutual beneficial collaboration, not a master/servant type of relationship where sometimes government seems to present itself as a master. It should be mutually respectful and there should be opportunities for corporate resolution, where associations and members are invited to take active part towards the good of all. That is where we as advertisers who are the major stakeholders will feel that you have actually collaborated with us.”
Speaking from experiential point of view, Tunji Adeyinka, President, Experiential Marketers Association of Nigeria (EXMAN), emphasised the importance of a symbiotic partnership between the public and private sectors. He affirmed that inadequate state budget remains a factor that militates against the success of the partnership.
Hear him: “Essentially, we know the size of the government budget, that it is very little, we believe that if we want to make appreciable progress, we need to facilitate private public partnership but we need to do that in a transparent and very clear mind.”
Mr. Adeyinka advised that, for partnership to become impactful there is need for government to communicate its programme agenda with people they want to partner with. The EXMAN president also added that, “There must be a very good level of awareness where the private sector knows clearly what is on the table and also knows the rule of engagement. The private sector is always weary in dealing with the government. It is important to put those rear guards so that private sector is very clear about the safety of their investment.”
Femi Adelusi, President, Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIPAN) explained that one of the values of collaboration remains the fact that it allows sectors to see beyond their segment, by looking at the industry from a wide perspective. He averred that, “In building the smart city, its value must go beyond the beauty and its aesthetic nature, as well as the advertising opportunity. Its value must be impactful in terms of use of data and information beyond other channels.”
Ope George, Director-General, Office of Public & Private Partnership, Lagos State, on his part, noted that the state has a very vibrant private partnership office set up since 2008 whose transactions cut across various spheres and sectors of its economy, aimed at developing infrastructural projects through concession of various sectors of the economy.
“Collaboration and partnership are key, for us in Lagos State, it is all about developing constant learning, and one of such is developing the advertisement space as shown on the roadmap which we are doing with LASAA, through the concession of some areas in about seven major roads that we are considering within a short period.”
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