World’s tallest man in Ghana: who is Sulemana Abdul Samed, how tall is he, is he the tallest man in the world?

Sulemana Abdul Samed, a 29-year-old business owner from Ghana is reportedly the tallest man in the world.

Samed, who goes by the nickname Awuche was diagnosed with gigantism when he was 22-years-old. During his monthly checkup at his local hospital in Northern Ghana he was measured in at 9 ft 6in, with the BBC reporting his nurse had told him: “You’ve grown taller than the scale.”

However, his hospital could not be certain their measurement was accurate, leading to growing speculation around his height.

So, how tall is Sulemana Abdul Samedand is he the tallest man in the world? Here’s what we know so far.

Who is Sulemana Abdul Samed?

The 29-year-old, who is known by his nickname Awuche which means “Let’s Go” in Hausa is diagnosed with gigantism and has seen substantial growth spurts since his symptoms first began.

Awuche had moved to the capital city of Acra where his brother lived after finishing school and wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a driver. He first noticed symptoms when he was 22-years-old, with his tongue becoming swollen. Other parts of his body started to grow too, with his friends and family remarking on his size.

Since his diagnosis, Awuche has had monthly check-ups due to complications from the condition including a curved spine. In his latest checkup at a hospital in northern Ghana, he was reportedly measured at 9 ft 6in, with the BBC reporting his nurse had told him: “You’ve grown taller than the scale.”

How tall is he?

BBC journalist Favour Nunoo measured Awuche at 7ft 4in, which means that he is not the tallest man in the world and is 2 ft shorter than the estimated measurement given at his local hospital.

Awuche said: “I’m still growing tall. Who knows, maybe one day I may get to that height too,” he added: “Every three months of four months I grow… If you’ve not seen me for three months or four and you see me, you’d realised I have increased.”

Is he the tallest man in the world?

Awuche is not the tallest man in the world, although as he is still growing he may be one day. The title of tallest man in the world is held by Sultan Kösen from Ankara, Turkey who measures 8 ft 2.8 in and was awarded the Guinness World Record in 2009.

As a teenager, he was signed to the Galatasaray basketball team, but was too tall to play, he went on to become a part-time farmer.

Speaking at the time of his awards, Kösen said: “I never imagined I would be in the book, I dreamed about it, but it was still a huge surprise.”

As well as holding the record for the world’s tallest living man, Kösen also holds the record for the largest hands on a living person, each one measuring 28.5 cm from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger and previously held the record for the largest feet on a living person.

Who is the tallest woman in the world?

The tallest woman in the world is Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey. The 25-year-old stands at 7ft 0.7 inches, and holds five Guinness World Records for her height and size. Gelgi was diagnosed with the rare genetic condition Weaver Syndrome (WS), which causes rapid growth, but has since confirmed that “medical treatment has been successful and I’m not growing anymore.”

What is Gigantism?

According to Healthline, gigantism is a rare condition that causes “abnormal growth”. It happens when the pituitary gland makes too much of the growth hormone, somatotropin. They cite the condition as often being caused by a “pituitary gland tumour”.

Signs of the condition can include: very large hands and feet, thick toes and fingers, a prominent jaw and forehead and coarse facial features. Treatments aim to stop or slow the production of the hormones which cause the growth spurts, with patients being placed on medication or undergoing surgery.