Super Eagles legend Nwankwo Kanu has revealed his plan to build a $17 million cardiac hospital in Abuja, Nigeria.

He also wants to build similar hospitals in east, north and southern Africa.

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The former Ajax striker said the recent death of Ivory Coast’s Cheick Tiote should be a wake up call to act over heart problems in Africa.

30-year-old Tiote, died earlier this month after collapsing as he trained his Chinese club Beijing Enterprises.

Papillo, who battled heart problems during his career says it is time to address heart related problems on and off the field.

“I’m talking to friends so we can do something to create awareness to try to help children in Africa,” Kanu said.

“Tiote’s death was not good news. It’s not the first time it is happening.

“We lost Marc-Vivien Foe. He died and nothing was done. Tiote is gone and nothing is being done.”

Kanu’s heart defect

Kanu was sidelined for nine months just after winning Olympic gold in 1996 when doctors at his Italian club Inter Milan’s found a heart defect.

He was allowed to resume his career after a successful operation in Ohio in the United States.

The former Arsenal striker had further heart surgery in 2014.

On Tiote’s death, he said something must be done to stop the trend.

“One man can not do everything. What happened to Tiote is a lesson to us all. We can’t let it go on like this,” Kanu told BBC Sport.

“We should talk more about it, information needs to get out there because the problem is huge.”

“Our dream is to build a hospital in Nigeria and four other countries in Africa.

“The funds have been the issue but if we can make it happen it’s going to help a lot because right now we are taking the kids to India and it cost a lot.”

Kanu heart foundation

So far the Kanu Heart Foundation has facilitated 538 successful operations in England, India, Nigeria and Israel.

The foundation office in Lagos, Nigeria receives eight to ten calls everyday from people seeking help to treat heart related problems.

Lagos University student, Enitan Adesola, is one of the very first beneficiaries of the help offered by Kanu.

“I have to thank him very much for taking a big decision to help me because you can’t just not know someone and try to help that person,” she said.

“He’s been like a father to me, like a mother, he’s just been great to me. I am really grateful.”

To raise the funds for the hospital project Kanu is bringing together his team-mates at Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Portsmouth for two charity matches to be played in Lagos and Johannesburg later this year.
http://www.concisenews.global/news/kanu-set-to-build-17-million-cardiac-hospital-in-abuja/

Nawa ooooo

Very good one from the real kanu, not the demented London streets hustler.

These things are done by people who earned clean money in london not that cameroon pepper who try to do the Evans but couldnt succeed in london...

Government and private organizations should support this guy. A hero in the true sense of it, on and off the pitch. God bless Nwankwo Kanu for his crusade against heart defects.

nice

This is the real KANU

We have lands in Enugu, IMO, abia, anambra and ebonyi where u can build your hospital but not in abuja

cstr1000:
We can see a crass failure in Eastern leadership.
Nigeria is on the brink with some people issuing quit notice ,and yet an eastern son with ears in the okorocha governmnent is planning to waste 17 million dollars in a strange land and okorocha is not calling him to order.
I seriously hope this news is not true. Build it in igboland if you have to.