Daniel Kanu (born 20 January 1971) is an American-Nigerian politician, entrepreneur and philanthropist. According to a 2014 article in '' News Diary Online'', he became well known throughout Nigeria for his support of General

Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...

. He is involved in several businesses in Nigeria and sponsors several organizations dedicated to youth development.

Early life and education

Kanu was born in Aba,

Imo State Imo State ( ig, Ȯra Imo) is a States of Nigeria, state in the South East (Nigeria), South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered to the north by Anambra State, Rivers State to the west and south, and Abia State to the east. It takes its n ...

, now

Abia State Abia State ( ig, Ȯha Abia) is a state in the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north and northeast by the states of Enugu, and Ebonyi, Imo State to the west, Cross River State to the east, Akwa Ibom State to the ...

, and was educated in Nigeria until 1985, when he relocated to Texas in the United States. He graduated in 1990 from

North Garland High School North Garland High School is a public secondary school located in Garland, Texas (USA). North Garland High School enrolls students in grades 9- 12 and is a part of the Garland Independent School District. The school is known for the endorsement o ...

. In 1991, while studying at

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

, he played Defensive End on the

Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to a nickname given to the early participants in the Land Run ...

American Football Team.Oklahoma Sooners
/ref> After, he attended

Richland College Dallas College Richland Campus (often stylized as Richland or RLC) is a public community college in Dallas, Texas. The school was founded in 1972 and is part of Dallas College. It is the largest campus in the college, featuring about 20,000 st ...

in Dallas, Texas, receiving a certificate in Global Studies on International Business and Trade and a degree in arts. In 1993, he returned to Nigeria.

Career

Kanu began his business career in 1993, when he founded DIK International Limited. The company, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in areas such as trading, construction, importation and supplying of commodities and technological advanced products, real estate, oil and gas supplies. He is also a Managing Director of Cleanall Environmental Services Limited. Kanu is a Chairman of DK Fitness Products Limited.NewsDiaryOnline
"Jonathan's Second Term Quest 'Divine' ,Says Daniel Kanu-led Sport Group"
New Diary Online, Abuja, 7 March 2015.

Political career

Kanu's involvement in Nigerian politics involved him in a number of different political organizations and groups, notably including organizing Youth Earnestly Ask for Abacha (YEAA) and leading 2 Million Man March in support of controversial leader General

,Orijo Reporter
"WE LIVE IN A NATION WHERE DECEPTION IS SEEN AS POLITICS -DANIEL KANU, THE MAN BEHIND YOUTHS EARNESTLY ASK FOR ABACHA, AN ORGANISATION THAT WANTED LATE MILITARY JUNTA TO TRANSMUTE TO CIVILIAN PRESIDENT"
" Orijo Reporter", 14 April 2014. Retrieved on 14 April 2014. and considered to be the largest gathering in history of Nigeria. In 2002, he won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Primary election for Federal House of Representatives (AMAC and Bwari), but his win was annulled by the PDP due to what they claimed were unverifiable certificates and unclear antecedents. In 2011, Daniel Kanu was appointed Senior Special Assistant (Agriculture and Water Resources) to the Governor of Imo State, Nigeria. Kanu was appointed Special Adviser to the Governor of Imo State, Nigeria, in 2012.

Philanthropy

Kanu is the founder and sponsor of the Daniel Kanu Youth Foundation, which works to promote youth through education and sports. The organization is a core sponsor of the Federal Capital Territory Football Association League in Abuja. In 2014, Daniel Kanu again launched the youth sponsoring New Deal Organization focused heavily on fostering youth development and reducing youth crime.Newdiaryonline
"Daniel Kanu Interview:'I Have A New Deal For Nigerians'"
" Newsdiaryonline.com", 14 April 2014. Retrieved on 14 April 2014.Newsdiaryonline
"The Role of Students/Youths in Ensuring Security in Nigeria,By Daniel Kanu"
" NewsDiaryOnline", 25 May 2014. Retrieved on 25 May 2014. He is also a Founder of Body Builders Association of Nigeria (BBAN)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanu, Daniel 1971 births Living people People from Aba, Nigeria Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria) politicians Nigerian businesspeople Nigerian philanthropists