How Poor Electricity Doubles Nigeria's Population: Fayose Explains
- Rural Electrification Agency Chairman Ayodele Fayose linked Nigeria's population growth to the absence of electricity in rural communities
- Fayose argued that without power, people go to bed early with no other options available to them
- The REA chairman said solving the electricity problem would create nightlife and give people alternatives to staying home
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Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti and the newly inaugurated Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has drawn a direct connection between Nigeria's lack of electricity and its rising population, saying that darkness drives people indoors early and leaves them with few alternatives.
Fayose made the remarks while addressing the electricity situation in rural Nigeria, arguing that power supply has consequences that stretch far beyond lighting homes and powering appliances.
Fayose links darkness to population growth
Fayose said:
"When you don't address the issue of electricity, by 7 o'clock it gets dark, and people start engaging with their wives, so the population doubles."
He explained that the absence of power creates a cycle in which going to bed early becomes a habit rather than a choice.
The former governor added:
"The simple problem is that, because there is no electricity, people go to bed early. Their minds are already prepared for it. If this is the only option available, they simply stay at home."
In his argument, the REA chairman argued that tackling electricity access would open up an entirely different pattern of behaviour in communities currently left in the dark after sunset.
Fayose and nightlife as an alternative
Fayose said the solution was straightforward: "If we address the electricity problem, there will be nightlife."
His comments suggest that economic and social activity generated by electricity could give people productive ways to spend their evenings, reducing the idleness he said contributes to high birth rates in rural areas.
Nigeria has one of the highest population growth rates in the world, and access to electricity remains a critical challenge across many states. The Rural Electrification Agency was established to extend power infrastructure to communities not connected to the national grid.
Source: Legit.ng
