The Out of Home Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) has honoured Babagana Adam for sanitising outdoor advertising in Abuja.

Mr Adam was the director of the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) from May 2019 to March 2024, when he was appointed permanent secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, FCT Administration.

The association’s national president, Sola Akinsiku, said during the award ceremony and dinner in Abuja on Saturday that Adam was honoured for outstanding and exemplary leadership in outdoor advertising.

“Since the creation of DOAS, I think we have about three to four directors, but he merited the award. He brought professionalism, truthfulness, and dignity to the profession. We started with a fight and had to report him to the National Assembly. We stood our ground; he stood his ground.

“In the course of time, he understood us better, and we later found out that some of the decisions he took were also helpful to the promotion of outdoor advertising in FCT,” he said.

He added that Adam was also honoured because he did not abuse power.

“He is hardworking, works under pressure, and delivers. If he disagrees with you, you will know why he disagrees with you,” he said.

Emmanuel Ajufo, ex-president of the association and chairman of the Dinner and Award Organising Committee, said Mr Adam changed the landscape of outdoor advertising and made the business better.

“When he came in as head of DOAS, Abuja, all manner of people who are not professionals were putting up billboards without plans. He reordered that process and brought some sanity to the industry. That alone is a wonderful thing for us.  He is very firm but fair to everybody.

“We need people like him in the industry, in fact, in this country, for us to move forward. Everything is not about money; integrity is very critical, and the man is filled with integrity. What we have done is just to reward hard work and to use him as an example to others,” Mr Ajufo said.

Similarly, the chairman of OAAN (North-Central and Abuja), Haruna Ahmed, said Mr Adam helped standardise the profession’s practice in Abuja.