Former Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Governing Board, Ayodele Fayose, has linked poor electricity supply to population growth in Nigeria.
Fayose made the remark on Friday in Abuja while he was inaugurated alongside other members of the REA governing board by the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe.
Speaking on the need to address Nigeria’s electricity challenges, Fayose said inadequate power supply forces people to stay indoors and go to bed early, which he jokingly linked to increased population.
He 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.”
Fayose added that the lack of electricity limits nightlife and other activities that could keep people out of their homes in the evenings.
“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,” he said.
He argued that improving electricity supply would change people’s evening routines and encourage more social and economic activities.
“But if we address the electricity problem, there will be nightlife,” Fayose added.
