ABSSAA Commences Comprehensive Statewide Billboard Integrity Inspection to Safeguard Lives and Property in Abia

The Abia State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSSAA) has embarked on a comprehensive structural integrity assessment of all billboards across the state, in a decisive move to ensure public safety and avert future collapses that could endanger lives and property.

The large-scale inspection exercise, which recently commenced in Aba, the commercial hub of the state is aimed at evaluating the physical fitness and structural soundness of all outdoor advertising installations. The assessment covers key components such as the frames, columns, and foundations of billboards, with a focus on identifying corrosion, weak materials, rust, and other defects that could compromise structural stability.

According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ABSSAA, Hon. Victoria Onwubiko, the initiative demonstrates the state government’s unwavering commitment to protecting residents through proactive regulatory measures.

Mrs. Onwubiko explained that the ongoing integrity audit is part of a broader effort to sanitize the outdoor advertising environment in Abia State and ensure that all billboards meet established safety and engineering standards. She stated that any structure found to be defective or failing the integrity test will be promptly dismantled, while only duly certified and structurally sound billboards will be permitted to remain standing.

The ABSSAA boss further noted that the exercise was triggered by previous incidents of billboard collapses in some parts of the state, including the one recorded at the popular Salad Market in Aba. She emphasized that such occurrences underscored the urgent need for preventive action and reaffirmed the Otti-led administration’s zero-tolerance policy toward unsafe and substandard structures.

Mrs. Onwubiko assured that ABSSAA remains committed to ensuring a safe, aesthetic, and well-regulated signage environment across Abia, while maintaining a collaborative relationship with advertising practitioners, engineers, and other stakeholders in the sector.

The ongoing structural integrity assessment is expected to extend to all major towns and local government areas in the state in the coming weeks, marking another milestone in the government’s drive to promote safety, orderliness, and compliance in public infrastructure management.