Oby Onyioha


Oby Onyioha is a Nigerian singer and songwriter best known for her smash debut single, I Want To Feel Your Love which was widely successful in the 1980s in Nigeria.
Years after the release of her debut and long hiatus, Onyioha announced her return to the music scene and plans for the release of her 3rd album, 'Break-It' being the second.

Early life

Oby was born in Lagos & brought up in the eastern part of Nigeria. Her father was K. O. K. Onyioha the Head of the Godian Religion. Onyioha began her education in St Stephens Primary School in Umuahia, Abia State from whence she went to Queen's School, Enugu for her high school education. She went on to attain a B.A, B.sc in History and Business Management respectively, she also attained a Masters and Doctorate in Social Anthropology.

Music career

1981: ''I Want To Feel Your Love''

Onyioha first burst onto the Nigerian music scene with the album ‘I Want To Feel Your Love’ which was named after her hugely successful single of the same title. The single, I Want To Feel Your Love is regarded as one of the greatest songs of her era in Nigeria.
The album was a huge success and took the Nigerian music scene by storm in the 1980s and 90s, all this at a time when disco break-dance music was considered the exclusive domain of western artists. Onyioha played a big part in helping to break the perception that music was a vocation for academically challenged women.
Oby Onyioha's ‘I Want To Feel Your Love’ album was so successful that at an auction in Europe, the vinyl record sold for $700.