Early Life
Born on January 31, 1952, Onyeka Onwenu hailed from Arondizuogu, Imo State, but grew up in Port Harcourt. Her father’s death when she was four left her mother to raise five children. She later earned a BA from Wellesley College and an MA in Media Studies from The New School, New York.
Career
Onwenu started her career in media with the Nigerian Television Authority and gained fame with her 1981 debut album For the Love of You. She blended pop, Afrobeat, and later gospel, using her platform to advocate for health, peace, and women’s rights. Her collaborations with King Sunny Ade, especially Wait For Me, supported family planning awareness.
She acted in numerous Nollywood films and presented the powerful documentary Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches, exposing corruption and environmental neglect. In 2013, she judged Nigeria’s X Factor, and later served as Executive Director of the National Centre for Women Development.
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.
Onyeka Onwenu passed away on July 30, 2024, after collapsing during a performance. Her voice, strength, and influence remain a guiding force for women, artists, and future generations in Africa.
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