Ayra Starr has opened up about how Nigeria’s unstable electricity supply affected her upbringing, education, and family livelihood while growing up.
Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW in New York, the Afrobeats star said constant power outages forced many Nigerian children, including herself, to adapt to difficult living conditions from an early age.
According to the singer, the lack of stable electricity impacted nearly every aspect of her childhood and limited basic comforts that could have improved her learning experience and personal development.
She recalled helping her grandmother sell tomatoes and peppers, explaining that the absence of electricity made food preservation impossible, forcing them to sell produce quickly before it spoiled.
“Every Nigerian child has faced some type of electricity issues,” she said. “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.”
Ayra Starr noted that the harsh realities she experienced while growing up helped shape her resilience and creativity.
“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 added.
The singer further stated that access to steady electricity would have significantly improved her childhood, especially academically.
“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 said.
Ayra Starr also used the platform to urge African leaders to prioritise electricity and basic social infrastructure across the continent, stressing that every child deserves access to reliable power and essential amenities necessary for proper growth and development.
Elijah Adeyemi
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