Nigerian Afrobeats singer Ayra Starr has opened up about how poor electricity supply in Nigeria affected her childhood and personal growth.
Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW event in New York, the singer said growing up without stable electricity made life difficult for her and her family. According to her, having constant power supply would have changed many things in her life.
Ayra Starr explained that poor electricity affected her education, career growth, and even her family’s source of income. She recalled helping her grandmother sell tomatoes and pepper, adding that they often rushed to sell the goods because there was no electricity to preserve them.
She said, “Every Nigerian child has faced some type of electricity issues. My grandma used to sell tomatoes and pepper and I used to assist her. We had to sell it quickly because we didn’t have electricity to store them.”
The singer noted that the difficult experiences shaped her into a stronger person because she had to survive and adapt without basic comfort.
“The harsh experience made me who I am today. Because I had to find ways to do what I had to do without the comfort of electricity,” she said.
Ayra Starr further stated that having stable electricity while growing up would have made life easier for her, especially during her school days.
“Growing up, having electricity would have made a big difference. If I came back from school and I had AC or even a fan in the heat while doing my assignments, that would have made a big difference,” she added.
She also called on African leaders to improve electricity supply across the continent, stressing that every child deserves access to electricity and other basic social amenities needed for proper growth and development.
