Presenting our Woman Crush this beautiful Wednesday morning, the Elegant Stallion herself, Onyeka Onwenu. What’s to not to love about a lady who changed the face of Nigerian music as we know it. Since the 1980s, she has succeeded in everything she’s done – acting and journalism included – impacting lives in the process.
More about this phenomenal woman down below:
1. Onyeka is the daughter of the late educationist, Honourable D. K. Onwenu. He was the first black principal of a baptist school in Port Harcourt.
2. She is a formally trained media professional, with a Bachelors degree in International Relations and Communications from Wellesley College, Massachusetts, US and a Masters degree from The New School for Social Research in New York.
2. After returning back to Nigeria in 1980, she began her career as a a reporter with the National Television Authority (NTA). It wasn’t long before she became widely recognised for her hard-hitting work.
3. Her 1984 documentary, Nigeria: A Squandering of Riches, received major acclamation from the international community after its release. It explored the country’s situation prior to the December 1983 coup, capturing the emotions of the people at the time before its occurrence.
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4. By then, she already had another job title under her belt – songstress. This was her dream from the very beginning as stated in an interview with Vanguard in 2014. She released her first music album in 1981 and went on to release about five more, most of which were gospel-inclined and socially conscious.
5. As a political aspirant, she ran twice for election as the Chairman of the Ideato Local Government in Imo State. Sadly, she lost both times.
6. This hasn’t stopped her from applying leadership skills in other capacities. She has served as Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture and a board member of the NTA. Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, also appointed her as the Executive Director of the National Centre for Women Development in 2013.
7. She has acted in several Nollywood films since her debut in 1999 including Conspiracy, Chain Reaction, Women’s Cot and the film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie‘s novel, Half of a Yellow Sun.
8. She has also rocked her signature low cut for several decades, since her early days in school.
Why do you love Onyeka Onwenu? Share your reasons with us in the comments section.
Display photo credit: Point Blank News.
The post #WCW: 8 Fun Facts About Onyeka Onwenu appeared first on Accelerate.