Six things to know about legendary Onyeka Onwenu

On Wednesday morning, Nigerians woke up to the news of the demise of legendary singer and actress, Onyeka Onwenu.

Onwenu was said to have collapsed after performing at a birthday party in Lagos.

The singer was later confirmed dead at a hospital in Victoria Island. However, her family is yet to confirm the news.

She died aged 72.

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Here are six key facts about the renowned Nigerian figure:

EARLY LIFE

Onwenu, born January 31, 1952, hailed from Arondizuogu, a town in Ideato North, Imo State, southeastern Nigeria, but was raised in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State, Nigeria.

She was the youngest daughter of Nigerian educationist and politician D. K. Onwenu, who died when she was four years old. He was killed in an auto crash a week before his appointment as Minister for Education, leaving his widow, Hope, to raise five children alone after her husband’s family denied her access to his property.

EDUCATION

Onwenu possessed a BA in International Relations and Communication from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and an MA in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York. She worked for the United Nations as a tour guide before returning to Nigeria in 1980 to complete her mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), in Lagos, Nigeria.

CAREEER

As an NTA employee, Onwenu made an impact as a newsreader and reporter. In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches which became the definitive film about corruption in Nigeria, as well as the intractable Niger Delta agitation for resource control and campaign against environmental degradation in the oil rich region of Nigeria. A former member of the NTA board, she has also worked as a TV presenter, hosting the shows Contact (1988) and Who’s On? (1993) both on NTA Network.

Onwenu began her music career in the 1980s, becoming known as the “Elegant Stallion.” She has released several albums, blending genres like highlife, pop, and gospel. Some of her popular songs include “One Love” and “You and I.”

She has also made a significant mark in Nollywood, starring in numerous films and television series. Half of a Yellow Sun, Lion Heart, Muna, and many others.

POLITICS

Onwenu was a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). She contested twice to become the Local Council Chairman of her Local Government, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State and lost at both attempts, but was appointed Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture by former governor Ikedi Ohakim.

On 16 September 2013, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appointed her the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD).

ACTIVISM

In 2000, Onwenu protested against her former employer NTA over their refusal to pay royalties on her songs (NTA 2 Channel 5 had used “Iyogogo”, a track from the Onyeka! album, in station idents without asking her permission). After then-director general Ben Murray-Bruce blacklisted her from transmission, she embarked on a hunger strike outside the station’s premises.

Onwenu’s activism attracted widespread support from various artists, including Charly Boy, who lambasted Nigeria’s reluctance to pay royalties when songs are broadcast on television and radio. NTA resolved to settle the issue amicably but denied barring Onwenu from appearing on their channels. The protest was called off after six days when Onwenu and NTA came to an arrangement regarding royalties.

PERSONAL LIFE

Onwenu notably kept her personal life private and often refused to disclose private information regarding her ex-husband, a Yoruba Muslim. She was the mother of two children – Tijani Charles and Abraham.