Ayra Starr champions electricity for all, insisting every youngster deserves to grow up with light.

Ayra Starr, the Afrobeats singer born Oyinkansola Sarah, has opened up about how Nigeria's unreliable electricity supply impacted her formative years, highlighting the ongoing struggle many African children face in accessing basic energy needs.

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She shared her experiences on Thursday during a conversation about equitable energy access at Global Citizen NOW in New York City, where Zain Asher conducted the interview.

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Ayra Starr reflected on her Nigerian upbringing, noting that the lack of stable electricity significantly influenced her daily life as a child, forcing her to adapt and find alternative solutions.

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The singer recalled that her childhood experiences have had a lasting impact, saying "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," and adding that even simple amenities like air conditioning or a fan would have made a significant difference.

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Ayra Starr emphasized that her experience is not unique, stating "every Nigerian child" has faced some form of electricity challenge, and noting that "every Nigerian child has faced some type of electricity issues or not having to depend on electricity to do a lot of things."

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The singer also shared an anecdote about how power shortages affected her grandmother's small business, which involved selling perishable goods like tomatoes and pepper that had to be sold quickly due to the lack of refrigeration.

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Ayra Starr recalled her grandmother's experience, saying "My grandma used to sell tomatoes and pepper and we would have to sell it quick because there was no light," illustrating the far-reaching impact of electricity shortages on daily life.

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Discussing renewable energy and power access across Africa, Ayra Starr mentioned that her involvement with Global Citizen has recently broadened her knowledge of global energy solutions, saying "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."

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Ayra Starr expressed hope that more young Africans will become interested in developing energy solutions for their communities, citing the continent's large youth population and their eagerness to drive positive change, saying "We are a lot of young people in Africa, they are very eager to work and change the continent for the better."

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The singer believes that her participation in the summit can inspire younger viewers to explore renewable energy innovations, suggesting that "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."

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In a statement played during the summit, Ayra Starr described her appearance at the event as "a full circle moment," referencing her debut at the Global Citizen Power Hour Planet concert in Paris in 2023, and praising Global Citizen for bringing together "major international artists, committed world leaders and CEOs and business executives who put people over profit."

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In a previously recorded video shown at the event, Ayra Starr recounted waiting for electricity as a child so she could watch television, saying "I would have to wait until 6:00 p.m. for the power to come on so I could watch Hannah Montana."

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Ayra Starr emphasized the importance of access to electricity, saying "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."