The Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Ayodele Fayose, has attributed Nigeria’s rising population to inadequate electricity supply.
Fayose made the remark in a video shared by Arise News, stating that poor access to power limits entertainment and recreational activities at night.
According to the former Ekiti State governor, communities without reliable electricity have limited options for evening activities, forcing many residents to remain indoors after dark.
He said the lack of electricity becomes particularly noticeable after 7pm, when darkness sets in and there are few alternative forms of recreation available.
“Why you don’t address this issue of electricity? The people at that level have no alternative attraction. Nothing else matters to them. After 7 o’clock, it gets dark there,” Fayose said.
He argued that the absence of nightlife and other entertainment options could encourage people to spend more time at home, noting that this could contribute to population growth.
“Everybody is engaging their wives. And the population simply becomes double. The simple problem is because there is a lack of electricity,” he added.
Fayose said improving electricity supply could transform the way people spend their evenings by creating opportunities for nightlife, entertainment and other social activities.
“Their mind is simply prepared that, well, if this is the only available recreation, let me remain here. But when we address this electricity, there will be nightlife,” he said.
NPO reports that Fayose had recently assumed leadership of the REA Governing Board, placing him at the helm of an agency responsible for expanding electricity access to unserved and underserved communities across Nigeria.