Omu Okwei an haife ta a shekarar 1872 ga Yariman Ibo Osuna Afubeho da daya daga cikin matansa, jika ga Abo king Obi Ossai. A shekara tara, mahaifiyarta aika ta zuwa rayuwa a cikin igala tare da daya daga mata goggonninka da '. Ta koyi al'adun kasuwanci na asali, da cinikin 'ya'yan itace, dawa da kaji. Lokacin da take 'yar shekara 15, bayan mutuwar mahaifinta, ta zauna tare da mahaifiyarta a Atani, wani birni a kan Kogin Neja. A cikin 1889, ta auri Joseph Allagoa, ɗan kasuwa daga Brass . 'Yan uwanta ba su amince da zabinta ba kuma ba su ba ta sadaki ba . Ma'auratan suna da ɗa, Joseph, kuma sun sake aure a shekara mai zuwa. Ta ratsa Kogin Neja, tana sayar da tufafi, tukwane, da fitulu. Ta canza cinikin da abinci wanda daga nan ta sayarwa Turawa. A 1895 ta auri Opene na Abo, wanda mahaifiyarsa Okwenu Ezewene (1896–1904), wata mata mawadata kuma mata. Okwei yana da ɗa na biyu, Peter. Gwamnatin mulkin mallaka na Burtaniya ta kirkiro cibiyoyin maza tare da lalata na mata.