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| The late Onyeka Onwenu |
Onyeka Onwenu, the iconic Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress, and politician, has passed away at the age of 72 after collapsing during a performance at a birthday party in Lagos on Tuesday night, July 30, 2024.
The music legend was attending the 80th birthday celebration of Stella Okoli, the founder of Emzor Pharmaceutical, when she took the stage to perform. After her performance, Onwenu returned to her seat and suddenly slumped. She was rushed to Reddington Hospital in Lagos, where she was later pronounced dead.
Onwenu, born on January 31, 1952, had a remarkable career spanning over four decades. She was known for hit songs like "One Love," "Iyogogo," and "Ekwe." Her first album with Polygram, "In The Morning Light," was released in 1984.
In addition to her successful music career, Onwenu served as the Chairperson of the Imo State Council of Arts and Culture. In 2013, she was appointed the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Women Development Centre by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Often referred to as the ‘Elegant Stallion’, the singer was said to have slumped at the birthday party after she had performed.
Onyeka hailed from Arondizuogu, a small town in Ideato North, Imo state, southeastern but was raised in Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers state.
In the 70s, the singer attended Wellesley College, Massachusetts where she obtained a BA in International Relations and Communication. She also owned 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.
She worked as a reporter at NTA. In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary ‘Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches’. Her piece was turned into a 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.
The cause of Onyeka Onwenu's death has not been confirmed yet. Her passing has left a void in the Nigerian entertainment industry, and she will be deeply missed by her fans and loved ones. May her soul rest in peace.
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