Nigerian singer Ayra Starr has said that unstable electricity in Nigeria had a strong effect on her growing up and even shaped parts of her early life and development.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that she made this known at the Global Citizen NOW event held in New York, where she spoke about her childhood experience.
According to her, many Nigerian children grow up facing constant power problems, and she was no exception.
She explained that her grandmother used to sell tomatoes and pepper, and they often had to sell quickly because there was no electricity to preserve the goods. She added that this situation affected her family’s income and daily life.
She also said that the lack of steady power made studying at home difficult while growing up, as simple comforts like fans or air conditioning were not available during hot weather.
In her view, access to stable electricity would have improved her learning environment and overall upbringing.
Ayra Starr called on African leaders to work on solving electricity problems across the continent, saying that children need basic amenities like steady power to grow and develop properly.
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 harsh experience made me who I am today. Because I to find ways to do what I had to do without the comfort of electricity.
“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.”