C. T. Onyekwelu

Christopher Tagbo Onyekwelu (1898 – 29 June 1971) was a Nigerian businessman who played a pioneering role in the development of Nigeria's indigenous recording industry. Beginning as a produce merchant, he later established one of the country's earliest indigenous record manufacturing businesses and became a leading distributor of gramophones and recorded music.

Early life

Onyekwelu was born in 1898 in Nawfia, present-day Anambra State, Nigeria. He received his primary education locally before entering commercial trading during the early twentieth century. Career

Onyekwelu began his business career as a trader in palm produce during the early 1920s. After expanding into the importation of consumer goods, including bicycle parts and rice, he entered the gramophone business, recognising the growing demand for locally recorded indigenous music.

He developed relationships with European recording companies, enabling Nigerian musicians to record vernacular music overseas for commercial distribution. His company subsequently became one of the largest indigenous distributors of recorded music in Nigeria.

Following the Second World War, difficulties in obtaining imported records encouraged Onyekwelu to establish local production facilities. Working with German radio engineer Werner Becker, he built one of Nigeria's earliest record manufacturing plants, where commercial recordings commenced between December 1958 and January 1959.

In 1961, he entered a joint venture with Philips, significantly expanding record manufacturing and distribution within Nigeria.

Legacy

Onyekwelu is regarded as one of the pioneers of Nigeria's commercial recording industry. His investments in record production and distribution contributed to the growth of Nigerian popular music and the preservation of indigenous-language recordings during the mid-twentieth century.

Death

Onyekwelu died on 29 June 1971.