Veteran Nigerian singer and actress, Onyeka Onwenu has died at the age of 72, according to sources.
She was said to have died on Tuesday night at the Reddington Hospital in Lagos after slumping at the birthday party of Mrs Stella Okoli.
TheNiche reported that an eyewitness who was at the party confirmed the news.
“It is very sad. Onyeka Onwenu just performed at the birthday of Mrs. Stella Okoli today (Tuesday, July 30, 2024), and after performing, she slumped.
“She was taken to Reddington Hospital and she couldn’t make it,” the eyewitness said.
Onyeka was born on January 31, 1952. She 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.
Onwenu also worked as a TV presenter, hosting the shows ‘Contact’ (1988) and ‘Who’s On?’ (1993) both on NTA Network. She ventured into the music industry in the 90s.
She began her recording career in 1981 while still with the NTA, releasing her debut album ‘For the Love of You’, Her sophomore album ‘Endless Life’ was produced by the late Sonny Okosun.
However, the deceased’s family has yet to announce her death as of press time.
Onwenu will be remembered for her music albums such as In The Morning Light and Dancing In The Sun.
She also featured in the Half of a Yellow Sun and Lions Heart, among others.
