Ayra Starr has opened up about how Nigeria’s persistent electricity crisis shaped her childhood, saying unstable power supply negatively affected her growth, education, and family livelihood.
Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW in New York, the Afrobeats star said growing up without steady electricity forced her to survive under harsh conditions that many Nigerian children still face today.
According to Ayra Starr, poor electricity supply affected everything from studying at home to preserving goods for her grandmother’s business.
“Every Nigerian child has faced some type of electricity issues,” she said.
The singer recalled helping her grandmother sell tomatoes and pepper quickly before they got spoiled because there was no electricity for storage.
“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.
Ayra Starr said her childhood would have been completely different if Nigeria had stable power supply, stressing that even basic comforts like a fan or air conditioner while doing homework could have improved her quality of life.
“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.”
The singer also used the platform to call out African leaders, urging them to fix the continent’s electricity challenges and provide children with basic social amenities necessary for proper development.
