Nnamdi Kanu is a well-known Nigerian activist and the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist organization advocating for the secession of Nigeria's southeastern area, which is primarily populated by the Igbo ethnic group. On September 25, 1967, he was born in Isiama Afara, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.

Kanu grew up in Nigeria but later relocated to the United Kingdom, where he earned a degree in economics from the University of London. While in the United Kingdom, he became active in activism and joined the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), a group that advocated for the establishment of an independent state for the Igbo people.

Kanu founded Radio Biafra, an internet-based radio station that broadcast pro-Biafra messages and pushed for the Igbo people's secession from Nigeria, in 2009. The radio station was quickly shut down by the Nigerian government, and Kanu was arrested and charged with treasonable felonies in 2015. He was detained for over a year before being freed on bail in April 2017.

Kanu began his activism after his release, calling for a boycott of the 2019 Nigerian general elections and leading protests and rallies around the country. The Nigerian government designated him a fugitive in September 2017 after he failed to appear in court for his trial. In October 2018, he reappeared in Israel, where he continued to push for Biafra's independence.

Kanu was rearrested and deported to Nigeria from Kenya in June 2021. He was charged with terrorism, treasonable felony, and other felonies and is being detained in detention while his trial is underway.

Kanu's activity has garnered both acclaim and condemnation. His supporters consider him as a champion for the Igbo people's rights and a bold fighter for self-determination. Critics accuse him of encouraging violence and fostering hate speech, and some see his calls for Biafra independence as divisive and destructive to Nigeria's unity.

Regardless of one's point of view, Kanu has clearly had a tremendous impact on Nigeria's political and social environment, sparking a national discourse about questions of ethnic identity, political representation, and the right to self-determination.