DEPARTMENT OF ADVERTISIMENT AND SIGNAGE (DOAS) FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY ADMINISTRATION (FCTA)

The Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) is a department under the Federal Capital Territory Administration with the official mandate to standardize and regulate the practice and business of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage through innovation and technology with the aim of ensuring efficiency and optimal benefits to all stakeholders.

Acting Director DOAS: AMB. DR. FATIMA HELEN AMANABO ARPA, FIPMA.

Address:  Plot 74 Cadastral Zone B15 Sector Centre A District, (Along ABC Cargo) Jahi, Abuja, Nigeria
Contact number: 07044400901, 02092919181.

The primary function of the Department is to reposition and strengthen the FCT Outdoor Advertisement and Signage system. To reorganize, standardize and regulate the business and practice of outdoor advertisement in the Federal Capital Territory by curbing the proliferation of illegal and substandard advertisement structures as a vehicle for environmental beautification.

Structure

The Department is headed by a Director and has in its structure four Units:

1. Admin & Finance
2. Monitoring/Evaluation/Enforcement

• Planning/Design & Beatification

1. Business Development/Client Service/Area Council

VISION
To achieve a centralized system of control and regulation of outdoor advertisement and signage in line with global best practices with emphasis on aesthetically eco-system environment and an enhance internal revenue generation (IGR) mechanism in the FCT.

MISION
To strategically standardize the parties and business of outdoor advertisement and signage through innovation and technology with the aim of ensuring and efficiency and optimal benefit to stakeholders.

CORE VALUES,,,,,,,
• People – to engage value driven and task oriented people to guarantee a balanced work environment.
• Service – to consciously exceed service expectations.
• Stewardship – to optimize available space so as to increase stakeholder’s value.

MAJOR ROLES/DUTIES OF DOAS
1. To regulate the business and practice of out of home advertisement in the Federal Capital Territory.
2. To curb the proliferation of illegal and substandard advertisement structures in the FCT.
3. To promote orderliness and aesthetics on the display of signage at Malls, Plazas, Shops and other private business premises.
4. To be a vehicle for constant internally generated Revenue for the FCTA
5. In charge of Mobile advert and Telecommunication in FCT.

AREAS OF JURISDICTION
DOAS areas of jurisdiction are the six area councils in the FCT they are as follows::Abuja Municipal Area Council [AMAC], Bwari, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Abaji Area Councils.

STAFF STRENGTH
The department has 60 pensionable staff

ACHIEVEMENT/ACTIVITIES OF DOAS FOR THE YEAR 2025
The Department has recorded tremendous achievement since inception, especially in this year 2025 under review
These includes:-
1. Standardization of Outdoor Signage within the FCT. This has helped in maintaining the international acceptable standards
2. Removal of illegal substandard adverts within the FCT which in turn left the city in a glowing aesthetic-sparkling condition through enforcement exercise carried out
3. The department has also embarked on sensitization of the general public on the need and importance of outdoor advertisement, thus creating much-needed awareness through radio jingles, road shows, television, and newspaper publication.
4. The department so far is one of the top revenue generating Departments in FCTA.
5. Within the period under review, Telecomm Mast was erected in strategic locations within the city which in turn boast the information transmission within the city. We have more than 2000 telecomm mast in FCT.
6. Registration of additional Outdoor Practitioners in FCT within the period (2025). We registered more than 125 Practitioners.
7. DOAS has good synergies with other SDAs such as FCT IRS, Development Control, AEPB, and Engineering Services FCDA.
8. Repairs of some operational vehicle

PLANS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN 2025
1. To digitalize Outdoor Advertisement within the FCT
2. To develop automated payment of advertisement bills
3. Enumeration of all first party and third-party signage in the six area councils of FCT.
4. Create more awareness of the department through radio/TV programs radio jingles, road shows, newspaper publications etc.
5. Sensitization of first party signage in various shopping malls, Plazas, Business Premises in FCT.

CHALLENGES/CONTRAINTS
1. Court litigations from individuals and private organizations
2. Delay in the release of operational funds to run the department
3. Thugs and agents on the road parading themselves as doing the job of collection of revenues for government.
4. Lack of good working environment 5
5. Training and retraining of staff for effective and efficient performance.
6. Inadequate working equipment such as operational vehicles as Tipper, Crane and Hilux

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. There is need for regular training of staff on capacity development to equip them with requisite skills of outdoor advertisement practices
2. Sensitization of residents on the due process for hoisting signage through use of road shows, radio jingles etc.
3. To organize a workshop for all Registered Practitioners especially newly registered ones to intimate them on what is expected from them and the need to comply with the rules and regulations that guides the practice of Outdoor Advertisement in the FCT.
4. Vehicle with an installed public address system will go a long way to boost sensitization exercise/effort.