Afrobeats Star Ayra Starr Speaks On Hardships Of Living Without Stable Power In Nigeria

Nigerian music star Ayra Starr has opened up about how unstable electricity supply in Nigeria affected her childhood and influenced her personal growth.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The singer spoke during the Global Citizen NOW event held in New York City, where she reflected on the challenges she experienced growing up in Nigeria.

According to Ayra Starr, power outages are a common reality for many Nigerian children, and her upbringing was deeply shaped by those experiences.

She recalled that her grandmother sold tomatoes and pepper, and because there was no reliable electricity for storage, they often had to sell the goods quickly to avoid spoilage. She noted that the lack of electricity affected both their daily lives and family income.

The singer also explained that poor power supply made studying at home more difficult, especially during periods of intense heat when basic comforts such as fans or air conditioning were unavailable.

Ayra Starr said stable electricity would have greatly improved her learning conditions and childhood experience.

She urged African leaders to prioritise solving electricity challenges across the continent, stressing that access to steady power is essential for children’s development and overall well-being.

“Every Nigerian child has experienced electricity problems in one way or another,” she said.

“My grandmother sold tomatoes and pepper, and I used to help her. We had to sell them quickly because there was no electricity to preserve them.

“That tough experience shaped me because I had to learn how to survive and get things done without the comfort of electricity.

“Growing up, stable electricity would have made a huge difference. Coming home from school to do assignments with a fan or air conditioning in the heat would have really changed things for me.”