Ayra Starr recalls selling tomatoes, living without electricity as child

Singer Ayra Starr has shared how growing up without electricity in Nigeria shaped her resilience and early life experiences.

Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has recounted her childhood struggles growing up without stable electricity.
Speaking at the Global Citizen NOW event in New York during a conversation with Zain Asher, the singer said the lack of power supply affected her family’s daily life.

“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.
Reflecting on her upbringing, she noted that access to electricity could have improved her learning conditions.

“Growing up, having electricity would’ve made a big difference.”
She added, “The experience for me definitely made me who I am today… I had to do without the comfort of electricity.”
Ayra Starr described unreliable power as a common challenge for many Nigerian children.

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