Could turning off the lights at 7 p.m. be powering Nigeria’s population boom? Ayodele Fayose, the former governor of Ekiti State thinks so and he says electricity is the cure.
Fayose, the newly appointed Rural Electrification Agency (REA) Chairman linked Nigeria’s rural population growth to the widespread lack of electricity, claiming that pitch-black evenings leave residents with few options for nighttime recreation. Speaking following his official inauguration in Abuja, the former Ekiti State governor argued that extending power to off-grid communities will spark local night economies and alter evening social habits across the country.
Fayose’s statements were highlighted in a video broadcast shared by ARISE News on Saturday following Friday’s official ceremony.
“Why don’t you address this issue of electricity? The people at that level have no alternative attraction. Nothing else matters to them,” Fayose said during the event. “After 7 o’clock, it gets dark there. Everybody is engaging their wives, and the population simply becomes double. The simple problem is because there is a lack of electricity.”
He maintained that lighting up rural communities would encourage residents to spend more time outdoors, fostering local commercial activity and modern entertainment alternatives.
“People go to bed early,” Fayose continued. “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. There will be recreation outside your wife.”
The former governor now leads the federal agency mandated with accelerating electricity access across Nigeria’s unserved and underserved rural communities. Expanding grid infrastructure and off-grid solar solutions remains a central pillar of national efforts to bolster rural economic development.
Joseph Tegbe, the minister of power, administered the oath of office to Fayose and other members of the REA governing board. The newly inaugurated leadership includes board members Ahmadu Abubakar and Ilyasu Makinta, alongside three non-executive directors. Abba Aliyu was also officially confirmed as the agency’s Managing Director to oversee daily operational execution.
Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.
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