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KWASAA to collaborate ARCON on professionalism

by Editor September 25, 2022

written by Editor

The Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA), has reiterated its readiness to partner the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria(ARCON), with a view to promoting professionalism in the state.

The Director General of the Agency, Mr Olorunshola Omotayo, said this in his office while receiving the Head of Ilorin Zonal Office, Alhaji Yusuf Abdullateef who paid him a courtesy visit.

He further emphasized that the two agencies needed collaboration to guide against flouting of advertisement laws and for the betterment of Kwara State.

Omotayo also reiterated the commitment of the agency to restructure outdoor industry in the state, urging practitioners to adhere strictly to the rules and regulations of the industry

Speaking on the forthcoming general elections, he pleaded with politicians in the country to abide by the law for peace and harmony to reign during and after the election, for the growth and development of the nation.

Earlier, the zonal Head of the Council, Alhaji Yusuf Abdullateef, said ARCON had opened a window of opportunity for politicians and political parties to have an accelerating vetting in their campaign materials with token amount

Abdullateef who used the medium to appreciate KWASAA for its cooperation with the council in the past sought for more cooperation as a sister agency in the advertising and outdoor industry in the state to further enhance more success.

He therefore called on politicians to do everything with decorum in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians, stressing the need for them to that play the game in accordance with the rules and regulations.

Also speaking, the Secretary of KWASAA, Imam Ismaila Asukuti thanked the entire management of the ARCON for their visit which according to him would further cement the good relationship between the KWASAA and ARCON.

IMG 20220925 WA0011 — The Zonal Head Ilorin of ARCON Alhaji Yusuf Abdullateef (middle) presenting new law of ARCON to the Director General of the kWASAA, honourable Olorunshola Omotayo while KWASAA Secretary, Imam Ismaila Asukuti is watching

September 25, 2022 0 comment 390 views

NGO to partner KWASAA on sensitisation, others

by Editor March 25, 2022

written by Editor

Efforts of the Kwara State Government to turn around the State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA) has begun to yield positive result, as a Non- Governmental organization signified interest to partner the agency in order to reach less-privileged individuals particularly women and girl-child at the grassroot.

The President, African Industrialization Awards(AWIA), Mrs Peace Nnabugwu, who spoke about the organization’s readiness to work with the agency, explained that the organization was the mouth piece of the less privileged women in the society.

She told KWASAA Director General when he visited him in his office that the agency would assist in creating awareness and sensitizing members of the public particularly rural dwellers on the activities of the agency with its different sign posts, billboards and flexes.

Nnabugwu who commended KWASAA for the professional way of handling outdoors advertisements in the state, urged the agency to always works in accordance with rules and regulations as the general elections is fast approaching.

According to her” Our major activities in our organization is to represent the interest of the less privileged women and girl-child particular at the grassroots and ensure that their right is not being trampled upon.

“Over the years, grassroot women and girl-child have been underrepresented in all aspects of life. So, as an organization, we champion their course to ensure that they get what is due to them as and when due”.

She therefore, sought the support of the agency for the organization to project its activities in order to reach its targeted people at the grassroots.

Reacting to her request, the Director General promised to do everything possible in adhering strictly to the rules and regulations in accordance with global ethics of outdoor and advertising standard to better the state.

However, the organization honoured the Director General of the agency, Hon Olorunshola Omotayo with the “2022 HE for SHE supportive leader” award during its Award of Recognition 2022 held at Atlantic Event Center Ilorin recently.

March 25, 2022 0 comment 399 views

Politics Business News

Billboards: KWASAA promises level plain ground for political parties

by Editor March 25, 2022

written by Editor

The Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency(KWASAA) has reiterated its commitment towards creating a level playing ground for all political parties in the forthcoming electioneering campaign to place billboards among others.

Speaking when he featured on a personality Yoruba Radio programme tagged ‘Borokini’ on SBS FM Ilorin, the Director General of the agency, Hon Olorunshola Omotayo, said the agency is operating an open-door policy for all political parties and other stakeholders in signage and outdoor structures industry.

Omotayo also used the medium to appeal to the general public, politicians, among other stakeholders in the state to always have Kwara in mind Irrespective of their political differences.

“We are appealing to our people to always follow due process whenever they want to erect their political billboards or placing their posters, to endeavours to come to our office for professional guidelines and advice for the betterment of the our state.

“They should come, it is not about money but it is all about doing the right thing. We are here for everyone and not for one political party”, he said.

He also sound a warning to defaulters to stop placing posters on government infrastructures which according to him, such attitude is against the billboards and outdoor law anywhere in the world.

He said: “We have board that will can give you to place your posters instead of placing it on electricity poll, round about, some even go to extent of placing posters on the trees among others. This is an eyesore, we will not allow it again in the metropolis”.

March 25, 2022 0 comment 336 views

How KWASAA surpasses revenue target in 2021

by Editor February 13, 2022

written by Editor

By Abubakar Owolabi

One of the cardinal objectives of the Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA), is to ensure aethestics and beautification of the state through well erected billboards and posters as well as generating revenue for the state, among others. So, these and some other goals have been the driving force guiding the operations of the agency since its establishment.

KWASAA was established by the Kwara State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law in 2010 and the amendment thereafter in 2013. So, since its existence, it has established guidelines to regulate and control outdoor advertising and signage displays across the State.

When Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq came on board in 2019, he left no one in doubt of his readiness to transform the agency with a befitting facelift. During the governor’s visit to the headquarters of the agency after his inauguration, he expressed reservations over the indiscriminate ways of erecting billboards which he said had little or no regard for order, public safety, aesthetics and beautification of the State.

It was right there that the governor made it clear that policies and programmes of his administration on township aesthetics and beautification will not allow haphazard erection of billboards and signs of all forms as it were, all over the State.

He added that the transformation and restoration agenda of his administration will change the face of outdoor practice across the length and breadth of the State.

By and large, to ensure that the agency meets up with its duties of generating revenue to the state government coffers, among other responsibilities, Governor AbdulRazaq believes that the agency needs a technocrat and a game changer that will drive the policy and mission of government in line with global standards on signage and outdoors structures.

It was in the bid to change the narrative that the governor now puts a round peg in a round hole through the appointment of a new Director-General (DG) for the agency, Mr. Olorunshola Omotayo, a professional and member of Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria (APCON ).

Within a short period of his assumption as the new DG, Mr. Omotayo had re-written the story of the agency specifically in the area of revenue generation, among others, which was difficult for the agency to achieve since its establishment in 2010.

To many people, the appointment of Mr. Omotayo as the DG of KWASAA is a saving grace to an infant agency that is in dire need of an experienced Manager.

Addressing the Management and Staff of the agency on his assumption of office, Mr. Olorunshola Omotayo said the agency needs a lot of sacrifices from the staff and encourage them to ensure that Kwara and the agency remain their focus in order to meet up with the ‘ise n lo’ slogan of government.

“What I mean by sacrifice is that everyone must do his job diligently in accordance with the Civil Service Rules to better the State and l also urge you all to work together for the progress of the agency in particular and the State at large”, Omotayo said.

Interestingly, the first week of his resumption in office witnessed a maiden in-house training for the Management and Staff of the agency, to boost their morale for effective performance in their respective bits.

The workshop, which was held at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Communications, had the Director General himself and Head of Bill and Technical, Mr. Oluwole Adedeji as guests lecturers respectfully.

The DG did not stopped at that but embarked on advocacy and enlightenment of the people by appearing on various radio programmes for the masses to know the duties of the agency, as he stressed the need for the public to partner with the agency in its efforts to bring back its lost glory.

More so, he ensured that the Agency’s staff cut across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State through deployment of staff to each of the local government areas for more revenue generation. The issue of revenue, according to Omotayo, cannot be over- emphasized because revenue generation is among the cardinal responsibilities of the agency.

Inspite of the challenges the agency was going through over a decade of its establishment, for the first time, the agency in 2021was able to meet and surpassed the revenue target and even doubles the previous year 2020.

To many staff, with the unprecedented achievements within a short period, the agency has never had it so good like this before. To them, it sounds like the DG is in for serious turnaround of the agency.

Another surprise is the integrity award given to the Director General, Mr. Omotayo and some members of staff including the Press Secretary, Mallam Abubakar Owolabi, as a result of their distinguished performances.

Giving his remarks during the presentation of the award, the Executive Director of the Centre for Ethics and Self Value Orientation, Prince Salih Musa Yakubu explained that the centre embarked on thorough assessment and re-assessment before it settled for the agency as the most suitable for the centre’s award of excellence.

However, as Oliver Twist, the agency is appealing to the state government for the procurement of tools and modern equipment that will enhance the performance of the agency so that it will continue to improve on its revenue generation drive for the State.

Owolabi is the Press Secretary of KWASAA

February 13, 2022 0 comment 706 views