Onyeka Onwenu

**Onyeka Onwenu** (January 29, 1952 – July 30, 2024) was a Nigerian singer, songwriter, actress, journalist and activist. She was a former chairperson of the Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and she was also the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Women Development during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013. 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.

On 30 July 2024, Onwenu passed out after performing at a friend's birthday party in Lagos. She was immediately taken to Reddington Hospital where she was confirmed dead. Onwenu was 72.

## Legacy and tributes

Today, the impact of Onyeka Onwenu is seen to have resonated far beyond music, as Onwenu was said to have "impacted many lives positively through her remarkable versatility and she truly lived a Christian life that is worthy of emulation". She was noted "for her contribution to music and arts in Nigeria", which had earned her multiple national and international awards.

President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu also rendered tribute, calling Onwenu a "versatile and extremely gifted artiste".

She was said to have been "marked by a remarkable versatility", to have left an "indelible mark on Nollywood" and to have made an "impact on Nigerian culture".
As Onwenu's "legacy in Nigeria's cultural and political landscape remains profound and enduring".

Onwenu was a philanthropist.
In the wake of her death, she was also noted for her contribution to humanitarian causes, "often donating to organisations focused on education, healthcare, and women's empowerment".
Her life of philanthropy seemed to "serve as a reminder of the significant influence celebrities can wield for greater good".

Onwenu was a deeply pious woman, who was described by another Nigerian reporter as "the sweet Igbo Christian lady".
On the religious front, she was also recognized for her exemplary adherence to the Christian lifestyle.
Onwenu was not only an "exemplary symbol of womanhood" but also a unifying factor, with an "exemplary sense of unity".
She was widely commended for her "outstanding intellect, eloquence, and oration", with a eulogy describing "Onwenu's exit as the end of an era".
Onwenu, who looked the epitome of "unity and peaceful coexistence", was to "be remembered for all her contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry, our educational system, religious circles and our political space".

## Burial

Exactly one month after her demise, Onwenu was buried on Friday, August 30, 2024 at one private vault in Ikoyi Cemetery in Ikoyi, Lagos State, Nigeria, according to a BBC News Pidgin report. In spite of being influential, yet it was "a simple and private burial" that she was given by her family in line with her directive.

## Further reading

- "Onyeka Onwenu" blog by Onwenu at WordPress website

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Onyeka Onwenu
- **honorific suffix**: Order of the Federal Republic, MFR
- **image**: Onyeka Onwenu in June 2022 (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Onwenu in 2022
- **birth place**: Obosi, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
- **death place**: Lagos, Nigeria
- **education**: Wellesley College, Massachusetts (B.A.)
 The New School for Social Research, New York. (M.A.)
- **children**: 2