Chukwunonso Nkeonye, the woman music executive setting new standards for inclusivity in the African music industry

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, ‘Inclusivity’ means including all types of people, things or ideas and treating them more fairly and equally”. By this definition, it is not wrong to deduce that the topic of gender inclusivity in most aspects of life are yet to be fulfilled. But on the bright side, comparing how the world started to how it’s going (ignoring the current lapses) proves that the labour of our heroes and advocates past and present are not in vain. The world now boasts of incredible women who went through the tedious path of impacting their worlds amidst all the stereotypes, biased judgements and negative appraisal.

Narrowing our line of interest to the African music scene will outrightly exclude some names but at the end leave us with a collection of some of the most outstanding stories in women history. The African music industry for a long time has been a male dominated sector, from performers, to music producers, sound engineers, label representatives and even talent managers. There are no figures that accurately indicate the population of women in the music industry but numerous researches have revealed that women are highly underrepresented in the industry both onstage and offstage. In South Africa, a study by SAMRO highlights that women are largely excluded from decision making roles and they receive lower pay compared to their male counterparts.

However, all hope is not lost as these experiences have charged the women to renew their stance and now more than ever, women are taking their place in leadership positions, managerial roles and also, the performance sector. This juncture leads us to a certain hardcore woman shaping the African music industry in her own way, Chukwunonso Nkeonye, Head of Marketing at The Plug Entertainment.

The works of Chukwunonso has gained her an unbeatable reputation in her field. When you think music marketing in Nigeria, you think Chukwunonso Nkeonye. Fulfilling her role as a devout industry stakeholder by drafting successful marketing campaigns for both the A lists and the emerging stars, Her over five year experience have fuelled her with the knowledge on the dynamics of the industry which she has applied to pushing the careers of some Nigerian big names including Davido, Ckay, Bella Shmurda and more.

Chukwunonos’s lived her humble early days in the industry mostly as a video content producer and editor. Her major was filming and editing crisp and cinematic visual contents for brands, artists and even content creators. Her video editing hat bagged her gigs with HP, CKay, Glitch Africa Studios and Mavin Records. Years later, she finds herself in the marketing boat, directing and executing marketing and PR campaigns plus leading a team of marketing gurus at The Plug Entertainment. One highlight of her career is her role as the marketing and PR manager for Davido’s Grammy nominated 2023 album, ‘Timeless’ which under Chukwunonso’s marketing prowess broke the record for the biggest debut week for any Nigerian music album ever recorded on all platforms. in 2022, she received her first ever plaque from Turntable Charts, an award to accredit her contributions to Bella Shmurda’s 2022 project, ‘Hypertension’ which peaked at #1 in Nigeria.

To further establish herself, Chukwunonso has earned her director badge by directing music videos and visualisers for notable artists, she continues to inspire budding executives in the industry, lending her voice to key conferences and seminars, thereby empowering the next generation of leaders. Chukwunonso has indeed earned her accolades in the industry through her years of smartwork and goal driven decision making. Her works have given her a platform that ensures that she remains heard and respected in the industry. She had the chance to prove herself and she did so accordingly without leaving any stones unturned.

This article spotlights one out of an entire army of women fighting to be seen, heard and acknowledged for their worth in the African music industry. These women continue to live as models and mentors to younger women seeking the empowerment and resources to stage African music at the frontier of the global industry.