The Champions League is Nigeria’s national religion. With the local league in tatters, the European league is superlative, easily accessible (it costs a paltry N50 to view a match via cable television) and the best of Nigerian (African) football stars. The voltage generated by the ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho’s visit to Nigeria would have been enough to revamp the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Mr Mourinho who was in town on the behest of the Kwara State Football Academy, explained that he signs more African players in the clubs he handles because, “most of these players are well talented and skillful and everyone would like to work with such players to achieve good results.” 

With the increasing number of foreign based Nigerian football players – over 100 – playing for top clubs in the world, the question is, what have some of these players done to ameliorate the condition of the impoverished; despite their huge returns? Their sleazy sign on fees is as contentious as it is enviable. Indeed, many of these footballers claim to give to charity, but how far is this true? To an extent it could be right – not with certitude. Here are three Nigerian players who have helped the poor in their own capacity, but are they all philanthropists? Or have they only given back a little of what they have?

Austin Okocha (Jay-Jay), former Super Eagles’ captain, has made a great name in football with his skill and talent on the pitch. He recently partnered up with the University of Bolton in London to offer scholarships to ten enterprising students from Nigeria. The scholarship worth 2000 Euros per student, will be made available to each of the students with a drive to succeed and emulate the success that Okocha, the former Bolton Wanderers’ skipper had while playing for the premier league team. The scholarship was to ‘offer financial support to the less privileged’.  ‘This scholarship would provide a valuable structure of financial support to ensure that students of all backgrounds in Nigeria enjoy the benefits of higher education’, Okocha said.

Kanu Nwankwo, fondly called ‘Papilo’ by Nigerians, a two-time African Footballer of the Year, is also into charity. Despite the challenges he faced in his career due to his poor heart condition, Kanu never relented but rather pushed forward in giving: his establishment has helped resuscitated countless  lives. Papilo is the founder of Kanu Heart Foundation (KHF), a charity set up on 21 July, 2000 to allay the problem of heart related diseases in Africa as a whole, and Nigeria in particular. The foundation was established to redeem African children/adults who suffer from various heart defects. It has as its board of trustees – Nwankwo Kanu, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Segun Osoba, Ben Bruce, Onyebuchi  Abia and Lain Nelson, and it has since the year 2000 been offering open-heart surgeries to patient who cannot afford it.

As at May 2000, over 310 people have benefited from this foundation and many others are still profiting from it. The foundation is also making necessary efforts to promote research for heart diseases. It also aims at mobilizing goodwill from multinational companies to sponsor those in need of surgeries to Europe until its proposed specialist hospitals in Nigeria are fully functional.

Ikechukwu Uche is yet another foreign based Nigerian player. He plays for Gatafe in the Spanish La Liga. Since he became a professional footballer in Europe, he has been making contributions to schools of the less privileged and some motherless babies’ homes. ‘The government has done what they can but each individual is expected to make impact and contributions as well’, he said.

These three have done a lot but is it giving back or mere philanthropy? I certainly have no wish to play God by trying to judge the intention of anyone, not even these Nigerian football stars. Since the intention of giving is what differentiates giving back from philanthropy. In most cases, the philanthropist gives out of his goodwill or may also be spurred by a self love that has no connection with others but self. However, the one who gives back does so out of gratitude, of love for humanity or solidarity. While one may opine that Okocha gave the scholarship to rebrand himself or that Uche’s charity is ethnocentric or Kanu was spurred on after a near grave incident. Nonetheless, they gave back and that is a positive. I only hope that other stars will learn from them, but that to happen they have to maintain a connection with reality. Else they can easily get drowned by the peril of fame. 

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