Onyeka Onwenu: 5 things many people still don't know about late singer and actress

• The Nigerian entertainment industry recently lost one of its greatest entertainers and broadcaster of all time, Onyeka Onwenu
• Onyeka Onwemu was reported to have slumped after a recent performance at the birthday party of Stella Okoli, the CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals
• In celebration of the great life, the Nigerian legend lived, Legit.ng, in this article, has highlighted some things that many people never knew about her

Earlier today, July 31, 2024, news broke that Legendary Nigerian entertainer Onyeka Onwenu had passed away minutes after she finished performing at a birthday party in Lagos.

Many were shocked to hear about Onyeka Onwenu's sudden passing. With her music, acting, and broadcast journalism achievements, she's regarded by many as the matriarch of the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Legit.ng has compiled a list of five important things about Onyeka Onwenu's that many people don't know. Photo credit: @onyekaonwenu
Source: Instagram

According to The Tribune, Onyeka Onwenu passed away minutes after she performed at Stella Okoli, the CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals' birthday party.

Onyeka was pronounced dead on Tuesday night at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos. In celebration of her glorious passing, Legit.ng in this article will help educate her fans more about her life.

We would highlight five things that many people don't know about her.

Where is Onyeka Onwenu from?

The legendary singer was born and raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. But she originally hails from Arondizuogu, a town in Ideato North, Imo state.

She is the youngest daughter of Nigerian educationist and politician D.K Onwenu. However, it is painful to know that Onyeka never grew up to know her father because he passed away in a car crash when she was just 4-years-old.

Onyeka Onwenu's father passed away a week before he was to be named the Minister of Education under the Governor-General, Sir John Macpherson.

The Nigerian great was born January 31, I952 and her legacies will forever live on.

Early life, education and career

Onyeka Onwenu can largely be described as someone born into a privileged life. Records about her primary and secondary education couldn't be ascertained when this report was put together, but details about her tertiary education are well-defined.

According to Tribune, she attended the great University of Ibadan in the early 1970s, where she studied International Relations.

The records also show that she furthered her education, picking up another diploma in international relations and communication from Wellesley College in Massachusetts, USA.

Shortly afterwards, Onyeka started her musical career in 1979 but got her big break in 1980.

She went on to release multiple albums, including evergreen classics like "One Love," "You and I," "Iyogogo," "Ekwe," and "Odenigbo."

Marital life and relationship controversies

Many people know very little about Onyeka Onwenu's marital life while some don't know that she got married to Muslim Yoruba man, whose last name is Ogunlende.

The union produced two sons, Tijani and Ibrahim Ogunlende. But the latter changed his first name to Abraham instead of Ibrahim.

Singer's marital life was rocked with several controversies and one of the most famous one was when it was alleged that she was in a relationship with King Sunny Ade.

The rumours gathered so much weight in the late 1980s and early 1990s when the pair worked together multiple times on different records.

But the singer-turned-actress denied it every time she was asked if she dated or was ever in a relationship with the great King Sunny Ade.

Together the pair worked on songs: "Wait for me", "Choices" and "Let Them Say."

Her acting career

In the early 1990s the singer took up a new challenge and went into the movie industry as an actress.

Onyeka Onwenu once again didn't disappoint as she went on to break records in the industry and is still regarded to date as one of the greatest.

She starred in numerous movies over the span of 30 years in the acting, some of her greatest films include: Half of a Yellow Sun, Muna, Lion Heart and many more.

Onyeka's life as a politician and activist

The Nigerian great also ventured into politics at an older age and was once appointed the chairperson of the Imo state council of arts and culture.

She was also advocate for women and children's rights, participating in different humanitarian efforts and social causes.

Two of her evergreen songs done with KSA were sponsored by UNAIDS to help create awareness about HIV/AIDS in the 90s.

Onyeka's famously took on one of her employers, the Nigerian Broadcasting Agency (NTA) in the 2000s accusing them of using her songs but have refused to pay her royalties.

She was also a active member of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's cabinet. She was appointed as the executive director of the National Centre for Women Development, in 2013.

Onyeka Onwenu made a Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) for her contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry.

And also, she received the award of the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in 2011.

"How I raised my kids alone" - Onyeka

Meanwhile, in 2022, Legit.ng reported that Onyeka Onwenu spoke during an interview with Kikelomo Atanda-Owo about her personal life and why she divorced her husband.

When Onyeka was asked about when a woman should draw the line between the love for their spouses, the life of their children, and the endurance of their sanity, she said:

Source: Legit.ng