Onyeka Onwenu MFR // ⓘ (31 January 1952 – 30 July 2024)[1] was a Nigerian singer-songwriter, actress, human rights and social activist, journalist, politician, and X Factor series judge.

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,[7][8][9] leaving his widow, Hope, to raise five children alone after her husband's family denied her access to his property.

[11][12] Onwenu 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 wrote and sang about issues such as health (HIV/AIDS), peace and mutual coexistence, respect for women's rights, and the plight of children.

Her second album was Endless Life, produced by Sonny Okosun, and included another cover – the Everley Brothers' "Walk Right Back".

Recorded in London, it featured the track "Masterplan" written by close friend Tyna Onwudiwe who had previously contributed to Onwenu's BBC documentary and subsequently sang back-up vocals on the album.

[citation needed] For the 1988 album Dancing In The Sun, Onwenu adopted a more Afrocentric sound and collaborated with veteran jùjú artist Sunny Ade on the track "Madawolohun (Let Them Say)".

[24] Onwenu's first movie role was as Joke, a childless woman who adopts an abandoned baby in Zik Zulu Okafor's Nightmare.

[28] 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.

[36] On 30 July 2024, Onwenu passed out after performing at the 80th birthday party of The CEO Emzor Pharmaceuticals Stella Okoli in Lagos State.

[40] Prior to her death, Onwenu wrote in an opinion piece on Premium Times in 2021 on how she would like to be buried: “Do it quickly, quietly and privately,” emphasising that her burial should be devoid of unnecessary fanfare.

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

[49] 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".

[52] She was widely commended for her "outstanding intellect, eloquence, and oration", with a eulogy describing "Onwenu's exit as the end of an era".

[52] 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".

[55] Having been presented by Isaiah Egedegbe as a role model for the Christian life in the wake of her death,[43] Onwenu was said to have been buried with her Bible placed on top of her coffin by one of her sons.