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Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has spoken about the impact of poor electricity supply on her childhood, saying millions of African children still lack access to reliable power needed for education and daily living.
The singer made the remarks during a conversation on equitable energy access at the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York City, where she reflected on growing up in Nigeria with unstable electricity supply.
According to her, constant power outages shaped her upbringing and forced many children to adjust to difficult living conditions from an early age.
“The experience for me definitely made me who I am today because I’ve had to find ways to do things. I had to do without the comfort of electricity and all of that,” she said.
“If I came back from school and I was able to have AC or even fan in the heat and do my assignments, that would have made a big difference.”
Ayra Starr said unreliable electricity remained a common experience for many Nigerian children, affecting learning, comfort and economic activities in homes and communities.
“Every Nigerian child has faced some type of electricity issues or not having to depend on electricity to do a lot of things,” she said.
The singer also recalled how poor electricity supply affected her grandmother’s small business.
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“My grandma used to sell tomatoes and pepper and we would have to sell it quick because there was no light,” she said.
Ayra Starr explained that her involvement with Global Citizen had exposed her to conversations around renewable energy and global power solutions, adding that she was learning more about the sector.
“Before this, I didn’t really know much about global energy solutions, I’m not going to lie. But I’m learning so much and it’s so inspiring,” she said.
She added that Africa’s young population has the potential to drive change across the continent, especially in developing renewable energy solutions for underserved communities.
“A young girl can be watching this right now at home and it’s like, okay, let me try and find solar energy solutions for my country too,” she said.
In a recorded message played during the summit, the singer recalled waiting for electricity as a child just to watch television, while stressing that many children across Africa still live without basic access to power.
“I would have to wait until 6:00 p.m. for the power to come on so I could watch Hannah Montana,” she said.
“But even I was lucky. Some children in Africa have no access to light at all. No child should be left in the dark. They need light to walk, study, and practice. They need light to reach their dreams.”
