Nigerian singer Ayra Starr has opened up about growing up without stable electricity in Nigeria, recalling how her grandmother had to quickly sell tomatoes and pepper because there was no power supply to preserve them.
The Afrobeats star shared the experience while speaking on equitable energy access at the Global Citizen NOW event in New York City during a conversation with Zain Asher.
Reflecting on her childhood, Ayra Starr said the absence of electricity shaped her resilience and forced her to find ways to adapt to difficult living conditions.
“My grandma used to sell tomatoes and pepper; we had to sell it quick because we didn’t have electricity to store them. I had to find ways to do what I had to do,” she said.
“Growing up, having electricity would’ve made a big difference.”
The singer explained that simple comforts many people take for granted, including fans and air conditioning, could have significantly improved her learning experience as a child.
“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 stated.
“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 noted that unreliable electricity is a common reality for many Nigerian children.
“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 music star also admitted that before participating in the discussion, she had limited knowledge about global energy solutions, but described the experience as eye-opening and inspiring.
“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. We are a lot of young people in Africa. They are very eager to work and change the continent for the better,” she added.
