Nigerian music producer and executive Osabuohien Osaretin, widely known as Sarz, has highlighted chronic infrastructure deficits, particularly inconsistent electricity, as a major constraint on the country’s creative economy.
Speaking on the Afropolitan podcast, Sarz described how unstable power disrupts the creative process, leading to lost productivity and wasted artistic potential. He noted that despite a lifetime in Nigeria, he has never experienced a full 24 hours of uninterrupted electricity. “There are times when I wake up feeling inspired and I want to create music but there is no light,” he stated. “Sometimes, even when you want to buy fuel, they will tell you there is a strike or scarcity. And then you end up doing nothing and the potential just wastes.”
The 36-year-old producer, known for shaping the sound of contemporary Afrobeats, explained that creativity requires optimal mental readiness, which infrastructure gaps actively undermine. “As a creative person, you need to be mentally charged to perform at your best. So, when the infrastructure is lacking the moment you are mentally charged, it is a challenge,” he said.
Sarz stressed that reliable infrastructure is fundamental for the entertainment industry to sustain its growth and global competitiveness. He argued that the sector’s potential remains limited by systemic challenges, with power supply being a pervasive issue.
Nigeria’s electricity grid is notoriously unstable, with the national grid experiencing frequent collapses and many households and businesses relying on costly diesel or gasoline generators. This reality affects all productive sectors but is acutely felt in time-sensitive creative work where inspiration and technical execution are intertwined.
Despite these hurdles, Nigeria’s entertainment industry, particularly its music sector, has achieved significant international reach and commercial success. Sarz’s commentary underscores a widely recognized barrier: that the sector’s full economic and artistic potential remains untapped due to foundational infrastructural shortfalls. His observations point to a critical need for policy and investment in power and other utilities if the creative industry is to transition from a story of resilience against odds to one of sustained, infrastructure-supported growth.
