The Toronto Raptors Vice Chairman and President, Masai Ujiri, believes that Africa can achieve a lot when Nigeria moves in the right direction in all things, especially in the field of sports development.
Ujiri, the co-founder of the famous Giants of Africa GOA believes Nigeria and the continent at large can achieve far above average in sports if those in charge of administration and leadership push more investments towards the development of more sporting infrastructure.
The former D’Tigers player who spoke in Lagos said, “Nigeria is the heart of Africa; yes that’s why you have it positioned there. When Nigeria moves, Africa moves. Africa is looking up to Nigeria for the right moves. This continent is about the youths and we are inspired by them especially when we gather like this. They will continue to be leaders and they will change Africa. And Africa is already changing. We can really use sports to make the change. God has given us the opportunity to use sports to effect some change and our leaders must endeavour to move in the right direction.”
Masai spoke when GOA, the non-profit organization he co-founded returned to Lagos, Nigeria to host a youth basketball clinic at the Ilupeju Grammar School where they unveiled a basketball court in 2021.
The clinic welcomed Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who shared remarks with the youth and participated in on-court activities.
In addition, through their non-profit organization, the Archewell Foundation, the royal family members made a commitment to donate to Giants of Africa, supporting the construction of a new basketball court in Abuja, Nigeria.
This contribution bolters the organization’s ambitious initiative, ‘Built Within,’ a multi-year, 100-court investment in sports infrastructure across Africa.
“We are grateful to be joined by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at this basketball clinic here in Lagos,” said Masai Ujiri.
“Basketball has the power to unite communities and inspire young people to reach their full potential.
Teaming up with the Archewell Foundation, we look forward to creating experiences for young people, empowering them to become leaders, while also fostering pathways to opportunity and hope.”
Prince Harry said “What you guys are doing here at GOA is truly amazing. The power of sport can change lives. It brings people together and creates community.”
Megan, The Duchess of Sussex added, “We are thrilled to be here. I lived in Toronto for seven years and that was the first time I’d heard of Giants of Africa – talk about full circle – never did I think we would be able to be here all those years later supporting the expansion of this incredible organization, through our foundation the Archewell Foundation. We’re so grateful and proud of all the work that you’re doing.”
In another talk with the media on the sidelines of the same event the ex-Nigeria international added, “Africa is blessed and there is something we have that nobody in the world has as much as us and that is the talent base.”
“The talent base in Africa is big and these youths you are seeing today, would surely become something big in life and so why can’t we give them the platform to succeed,” Ujiri asked.
The Giants of Africa is almost at the half way mark of its ‘Build Within’ initiative with some 38 basketball courts already built across Africa including in Lagos, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Tanzania, Rwanda, Morocco amongst others.
The organization has done effective basketball and leadership programmes in some other African countries including Somalia.
Masai who spoke likewise in January at the launch of The Arena in Lekki, Lagos believes that the government has bigger role to play in building more infrastructure so that upcoming talents can fulfill their potential.
“Already, we have built about 38 courts across Africa and we are going to open more soon in the summer; we are slowly getting there and we are right about half way to our target of 100 and you hear the Duke and Duchess of Sussex say they are going to donate a court to us through their Archewell Foundation in Abuja and that is an additional court that would built in Abuja,” he said.
“We need more basketball courts; more soccer fields as well as more stadia across Africa. We need more infrastructures not only in sports but even in entertainments as well.”
Masai is the first and only African-born President of a professional sports franchise in North America.
Im 2019, Masai led the Raptors to their first-ever NBA Championship and the first NBA Championship won by a team outside the United States in NBA history.
In 2003, Masai co-founded the Giants of Africa Foundation, based on the idea of using basketball as a means of educating and enriching the lives of African youth – both boys and girls.
GOA has used sport to help empower youth to dream big, hosting basketball camps and clinics for boys and girls in 17 countries across the continent.
Tag: GiantsofAfrica
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Kids in Egan and Ejigbo communities exploded with joy at the sight of brand new basketball courts unveiled 11 October 2022 in Lagos by a non profit organisation, Giants Of Africa, GOA.
The unveiling is a continuation of GOA’s ‘Built Within’ initiative – a 100-court commitment to investing in sports infrastructure across Africa.
Godwin Owinjie Former international and co-founder of GOA Godwin Owinjie explained that the idea of building basketball courts was strategic in the development of the game at the grassroots level:
“Now that this facility is here, see all these kids that are here, they are curious, what is this, what’s basketball, let me go try my hands in it.
“That’s how we gonna find the next Hakeem Olajunwon, or the next Antetokoumpou.
“That’s how it starts.
“Building basketball courts is very important.”
Each court unveiling event included a basketball clinic for 50 boys and girls, conducted by local and NBA Giants of Africa coaches, a life skills session, as well as entertainment.
The unveiled courts are strategically located at Gaskiya College Ijora Badiya, Egan Grammar School in Igando, the Ejigbo Mini Stadium and Abesan Mini Stadium.
The four new sites are in addition to the five previously announced locations, totaling nine basketball courts across Nigeria.
With the opening of these new courts, Giants of Africa has built a total of 20 courts in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal since September 2021.
Excited campers at Ejigbo Mini stadium According to the Partnerships and Media Manager of GOA, Sharon Allela of Kenya, the dearth of sports infrastructures like basketball courts has been a huge factor militating against grassroots development on the African continent.
The US based Allela pointed to how this factor limited the expansion of GOA’s programmes, hence the resolve by the organisation to bridge the gap:
“Deficit in basketball infrastructure, sports infrastructure in general is one of the biggest barriers to sports participation in Africa.
“We recognize there were places we wanted to go but we couldn’t because they didn’t have a basketball court.
“So we started this project during the pandemic because we almost had to pause the camps for that year but we had do something and we decided to build 10.
“And this is the incredible vision of Masai Ujiri, the co-founder of GOA and president of the NBA side Toronto Raptors, who grew up in Nigeria, he knows the value of infrastructure, he runs an incredible team that has incredible infrastructure and sees that vision for Africa.”
While admitting the importance of building courts in grassroots basketball development, Masai Ujiri highlighted the expansive scope of GOA’s vision:
“While basketball courts are the heart of the ‘Built Within’ initiative, it’s about providing valuable life skills to empower the youth, while creating stronger communities and job opportunities on and off the court.
“Our goal is to bring social transformation, education and enrichment to the lives of children across the continent and want Africa’s youth to dream big, believing that anything is possible.”
woramangra 