…Set To Rebrand At 38th AGM
The Outgoing President, Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN), Chief Emmanuel Ajufo has said that the association, over the years, has built a robust and cohesive association which enable them to confront challenges facing members and helped improved the industry.
He stated this at the press conference to highlight his stewardship in the last four years of two terms in office.
Ajufo said that the association was able to confront their challenges collectively.
“In the past, we have shied away from taking up issues with our regulators because of the saying that our regulators are supposed to be there to enhance our businesses and any regulator that does not do that is not helping us and so we had to come together and face the challenges and today our industry is better for it,” he said.
Listing the achievements of the outgoing executives, the Ajufo said that the association was able to established OAAN Cooperative and Multipurpose Society which has a mandate, among other things, to evolve a viable cooperative society that complements the OAAN brand and to foster the interests and welfare of members.
“In the course of our tenure, we also decided to add to the knowledge base of our industry because we felt that we cannot be saying we are in a profession when we did not impact on our members academically, that was why we came up with an industry-based publication launched sometimes ago,” he explained.
The President also said that the Poster award organized by the association was renamed in line with the focus of the association to OAAN Awards and Exhibition.
“One other thing that has been done that helped our business is the issue of our safety manual. We believe strongly in self-regulation and now we have what has been endorsed by the Safety Society of Nigeria,” he said.
He disclosed that their financial members have increased over the years as more are also committed than before which he said may be due to the positive impact of the outgoing executive which also established the Women In Out Of Home (WOHAN).
According to him: “we were able to bring together our female folks and the idea was to give them the opportunity to contribute more to the growth of the Association.”
Ajufo stated that in the past, the association shy away from taking up issues with regulators but the outgoing executive in the last four years, engaged regulators and was able to settle issues with them because; “we believe that our regulators are supposed to be there to enhance our business and not otherwise.
He however added that in as much as their members will not shy away from meeting their responsibilities, members will be on the side of government, anytime any day adding “but we also plead with government to do things right; it is very immoral to charge us for vacant sites. What the law say is that we should pay on earnings but we don’t earn on vacant sites.

From left, Vice President, Chief George Onwujiariri; President, Chief Emmanuel Ajufo; Treasurer, Mrs. Modupe Adewuyi and General Secretary, Sola Akinsiku all of OAAN at a press parley held on Monday in Lagos.
“So that is one of the things we expect from the government, once they do the right thing we will cooperate and indeed we will cooperate with all legal bodies that have one impact or the other on our business, but we also expect them to cooperate with us,” he explained.
Giving the highlights of the 38th Annual General Meeting (AGM) which holds tomorrow Friday, 27th October, 2023 with the theme: ‘OOH: The Economic Outlook in a Transition Year’ in Asaba, Delta State, Ajufo said the AGM which is an election event is to have new executives to steer the leadership of the association for the next two years with Sir. Dozie Mbanefo as the guest speaker.
Aside the election and other programmes lined up for the AGM, Ajufo said the Association is rebranding and this will start with a new name: Out Of Home Advertising Association of Nigeria, the acronym still remains OAAN and the new logo will be unveil at the AGM.
He also disclosed that some personalities will be honoured at the event and they include, Mr. Innocent Esewezie, Chairman Oshimili North Local Government and Director, Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage, (DOAS).
Others present at the event is the Vice-President of OAAN, Chief George Onwujioriri; General Secretary, Mr. Sola Akinsiku; Assistant General Secretary, Churchill Nwagwu, Treasurer, Mrs. Modupe Adewuyi and General Manager OAAN, Mrs. Chidi Ibiam.
BV.