Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, on Wednesday unveiled and officially opened for public use a pilot electronic billboard installed in Umuahia, the state capital.
Speaking on the occasion, Otti, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, said the occasion “marks another significant milestone in the deliberate efforts of my administration to modernise our urban environment, embrace technology, technological innovation, and reposition Abia as a destination of choice for business, investment, and economic opportunities”.
Otti said, “This project goes beyond the installation of an electronic advertising screen. It represents a new chapter in the evolution of our outdoor advertising, public communication, and information dissemination in Abia State”.
For many years, outdoor advertising in Abia State has largely depended on conventional billboards and privately owned electronic advertising platforms.
While these have served their purposes, the changing dynamics of communication, technology, and commercial engagement demand that we embrace more innovative, flexible, and effective advertising solutions. The billboard is solar-powered, he informed.
“So, it’s an innovation that we all will embrace, whether we like it or not. Because that’s where we are going, the world of green and clean energy. It is against this background that the Abia State Government, in collaboration with the LT Construction Company, has taken this bold step to introduce a government-supported electronic billboard facility, beginning with this pilot installation in Umuahia.
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“This is just the beginning. Beyond commercial advertising, this electronic billboard will also serve as an important channel for government communication, public enlightenment, emergency information, and dissemination of vital announcements to residents and visitors and strategically located.
“This installation is a pilot project, and it is our intention that its success will provide a foundation for similar facilities in strategic locations across the state.
“As a government, we are not mainly interested in building infrastructure. We are committed to building systems and platforms that improve the quality of life, stimulate economic activities, and project our state as a modern and forward-looking society,” he added.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency, Godwin Adindu, said, “This pilot project was done by LED Construction Company in conjunction with Abia State Government. We call it a pilot project because we are going to replicate this in other strategic locations in Abia State in the next few months. This is just a starting point.
“The idea is to cause a transition from the normal billboard that we are used to, to a digital billboard, electronic billboard. And, of course, you know that this government is dedicated to innovation and creativity”.
Explaining the idea behind the project, the contractor, Temple Omeonu, said, “This project is one of the pilot projects of Abia State Signage and Advertising Agency (ABSAA) in the state. This is called an electronic billboard, (LED billboard), which is a light emission diode. And you can also call it a digital advertising billboard. So, it is being powered by a solar system, and is shaping the aesthetic view of the state.”
