Appropriate funding for FCT DOAS
The Department of Outdoor Advertisers and Signage (DOAS) which also needs a permanent office complex, in Abuja the nation’s capital city under the FCT Administration has been up and doing since the coming on board of a new Director in the person of Dr. Baba Gana Adam. Since he assumed duties about three months ago, […]
The Department of Outdoor Advertisers and Signage (DOAS) which also needs a permanent office complex, in Abuja the nation’s capital city under the FCT Administration has been up and doing since the coming on board of a new Director in the person of Dr. Baba Gana Adam.
Since he assumed duties about three months ago, Dr. Adam and his select team has been doing everything humanly possible to generate more and more revenue for the FCTA through outdoor advertisement and signage, which was created since 2012.
He is undaunted with the poor situation of things he met on ground when he assumed duties. He is determined to succeed with the cooperation he is getting from the FCTA management.
Dr. Baba Gana and his able lieutenants had within the past few weeks been very busy and had engaged themselves in not only fashioning out advertising modalities but also implementing the strategies adopted by the department to bring in more revenue for the FCTA. It was reliably learnt that theses officials had been combing the whole city for the purpose of raking up more and more revenue for the government and they seem to be succeeding as confirmed by some senior media colleagues in the advertisement circle of Abuja.
It is expected that between 2-3 billion naira could be generated as revenue for the FCTA by the DOAS department within 12 months if adequate funds and logistics are provided to the department. The FCTA is currently reported to be losing over 2 billion naira to debtors on outdoor advertisement and signage within the city annually.
The new Director Dr. Baba Gana has vowed at a recent meeting to correct this situation especially with the cooperation that he and his staff are receiving from the management of the FCTA and colleagues in other departments including those working with him in the AMMC (Abuja Metropolis Management Council).
So far, among the strategies adopted by Dr. Baba Gana to generate more funds include on the spot physical visits to various department and agencies by his men and the rigorous enforcement embarked upon by the department within the past few weeks all over Abuja. These actions have generated positive results as more and more advertisers are now responding to the passionate pleas made by the department.
In addition to this, the new director as an experienced technocrat and media person has been cooperating and partnering with the media and other relevant stakeholders in the industry to achieve the department’s set objectives of getting more revenue. Baba Gana assured that more of such cooperation with the media will continue to be enhanced. Despite poor response from practitioners his department will not be discouraged but will rather continue to do its best in getting these advertisers to understand what is required of them Baba Gana reassured. He said his department will also continue to rigorously enforce provisions and laid down rules and regulations guiding the department enacted in respect of these revenues.
Owners of shopping centers, business centers, banks, restaurants, hotels, and such other related outfits has been advised to register their activities with the DOAS department and pay their bills promptly to avoid sanctions.
This writer is therefore of the view that the need for the FCTA management to provide appropriate funding and adequate logistics cannot be over emphasized. Any revenue generation agency needs funding. This is true for the DOAS Department because it needs funding and logistics to do its work very well. The FCTA Minister should take appropriate action on this issue.
Hassan Monguno sent in this from Abuja