Akwa Ibom State has reviewed its outdoor advertising guidelines for the Uyo Capital City (UCC).
A statement signed by the state Commissioner for Environment, Charles Udoh , said this followed the approved state Environmental Beautification Policy. He said the policy seeks to improve aesthetics, promote the physical and mental health of residents, increase tourism potentials and provide a more business friendly environment for investors.
He explained that the five guidelines that must be adhered strictly to are specifications, regulations of number of structures on major roads, revocation of all outdoor installation approval, enumeration and identification and implementation.
According to the ministry, all outdoor advertising structures must henceforth visibly display an identification sticker on the lower left corner of the main frame of the installation.
The stickers; which will be issued by the Ministry of Environment, will carry registration number, phone number and company name of the owner of the site/structure.
” From February 01, 2021, all Outdoor Advertising structures without stickers or that do not comply with the new guidelines will be removed by the Ministry of Environment,” the statement noted.
The ministry said owners of such structures will be expected to refund the cost of such removal with 50% surcharge to retrieve the structures and be considered for future approvals of request for site allocation.