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. She died at the age of 72.

 


The news of Onwenu’s demise in late July 2024 had sparked reactions online, described as “a colossal loss not only to her family, but also to the people of Imo State and the entire country”. Notable Nigerians from all spheres of life rendered tributes. Among them was the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu who called Onwenu a “versatile and extremely gifted artiste”. While the President opined that her legacy “lives on in her immortal masterpieces”, a cleric in Warri also expressed a similar view that the late Onwenu lives on in “the other side of life”.


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”. Onwenu’s influence as a singer, songwriter, actress, journalist and activist earned her an appellation of being “the versatile queen of African pop”, according to a Nigerian religious figure Isaiah Egedegbe. A Nigerian reporter had earlier referred to her as the “Elegant Stallion” in the Nigerian media. She was noted “for her contribution to music and arts in Nigeria”, which had earned her multiple national and international awards.


She was a Nigerian singer and songwriter, actress, human rights and social activist, journalist, politician, and X Factor series judge. Dubbed the “Elegant Stallion” due to her significant impact on African culture and entertainment. A philanthropist, “often donating to organizations focused on education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment”.


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 was born on 31 January 1952.She hailed from Arondizuogu, a big 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 in a traffic collision 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.


She 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.

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 member of the NTA board, she also worked as a TV presenter, hosting the shows Contact (1988) and Who’s On? (1993) both on NTA Network.


Originally a secular artist, Onwenu made the transition to gospel music in the 90s, and most of her songs are self-penned. She wrote and sang about issues such as health (HIV/AIDS), peace and mutual coexistence, respect for women’s rights, and the plight of children. She began her recording career in 1981 while still with the NTA, releasing the album For the Love of You, a pop album which featured an orchestral cover of Johnny Nash’s “Hold Me Tight”, produced by Berkley Jones.

She went on to release other albums like: Endless Life, produced by Sonny Okosun, In the Morning Light recorded in London(1984), One Love(1986), Dancing In The Sun(1988), Onyeka!,amongst others before making a switch to Christian/gospel music. Her latest collection, “Inspiration for Change,” focused on the need for an attitudinal change in Nigeria.


Onwenu was also a renowned actor. Her first movie role was as Joke, a childless woman who adopts an abandoned baby in Zik Zulu Okafor’s Nightmare. She later featured in numerous Nollywood movies, and in 2006 she won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the movie “Widow’s Cot”. She was also nominated that same year for Africa Movie Academy Award for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” in the movie Rising Moon. She appeared in the movie Half of a Yellow Sun with Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandiwe Newton, and Lion Heart.

She was also active in politics as 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.

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.
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.

 

She will forever be remembered for all her contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry, our educational system, religious circles and our political space. In her 72 years of existence, she impacted every sector and remained true to the messages her songs preached: unity and peaceful co-existence.

Today, on our throwback Thursday, we take you through the life and times of Onyeka Onwenu, ” the Elegant stallion”.

As we celebrate the life of the legend, here are some of her movies that will remain ever green in our hearts:

Credits: Additional information from Wikipedia.