MASAI UJIRI AND GIANTS OF AFRICA EXPAND BUILT WITHIN COMMUNITY BASKETBALL COURT INITIATIVE INTO THE SAHEL REGION

Giants of Africa launches Dribble for Peace, expanding its Built Within initiative into the Sahel with new community basketball courts in Mali and Ghana.

TORONTO, CA, UNITED STATES, March 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Giants of Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African youth through basketball, alongside its founder, sports executive and UN Sustainable Development Advocate Masai Ujiri, have announced Dribble for Peace, the latest phase of their groundbreaking Built Within initiative.

Launched in 2021, Built Within is Giants of Africa’s commitment to build 100 community basketball courts across the continent. Just five years into the initiative, the organization has already constructed 45 courts across 13 countries. Dribble for Peace expands the effort to the continent’s Sahel region, focusing on communities facing ongoing social and environmental challenges.

“Now we are going to the places that need sport for peace the most,” shares Masai Ujiri. “Dribble for Peace will reach more than 10 countries across the Sahel, bringing basketball and opportunity to communities facing conflict, instability, and environmental decline. Because basketball is more than just a game. It’s a bridge, a way to bring people together across divides, a way to nurture leadership, inspire resilience, and build hope that extends far beyond the court.”

Through Dribble for Peace, Giants of Africa will build on its existing presence in Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal, while expanding into Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, South Sudan, and Sudan for the first time.

Giants of Africa formally launched the Dribble for Peace initiative yesterday, March 8, with the completion of its 45th court in Koulikoro, Mali, laying the foundation for broader impact across the region. Underscoring the organization’s commitment to gender equity and long-term community impact, the court unveiling was preceded by a women’s coaching clinic. Masai Ujiri attended the ceremony, where Aliou Moussa Tamboura, Mayor of Koulikoro, delivered remarks.

Later this week, Giants of Africa will unveil its 46th court in Nsaba in Ghana’s Central Region, in partnership with actor and comedian Michael Blackson. A longtime friend and supporter of Giants of Africa, Blackson founded the tuition-free Michael Blackson Academy in 2023 to address overcrowding in public schools and expand access to quality education and leadership development for children from underprivileged backgrounds. In support of that mission, Giants of Africa has constructed a state-of-the-art basketball court on the school’s campus. The project marks the organization’s third court in Ghana.

“It’s powerful to see how Michael has invested back into his community in such a meaningful way,” adds Ujiri. “The Michael Blackson Academy is creating real opportunities for young people in Ghana by giving them a place to learn, grow, and believe in themselves. To be able to add a basketball court to the Academy means that their education will only become more rich. Through GOA’s court builds, we seek to teach young people sportsmanship and cooperation, while experiencing the pure joy the game can bring.”

About Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa
Masai Ujiri, an award-winning and barrier-breaking NBA executive, is the founder of Giants of Africa. Started in 2003, GOA draws upon Ujiri’s unique basketball journey to achieve its goal of uplifting African youth with programs focused on empowerment and leadership. As the first African general manager in North American professional sports who was named NBA Executive of the Year in 2013, Ujiri’s ascent to the top of the basketball world began in his native Nigeria and took him around the world as a player, scout and executive, culminating in 2019 when he served as the architect of a Toronto Raptors team that became the first franchise outside the United States to be crowned NBA champions. In 2023, Masai co-founded Zaria Group, an organization that is catalyzing sports, entertainment and cultural infrastructure in Africa through the development, management and commercialization of large multi-purpose venues (including arenas and stadiums) and their surrounding ecosystems. These projects are intended to accelerate Africa's growth in the sports and entertainment industry, creating jobs and fostering new businesses. Ultimately, however, Ujiri believes his work with Giants of Africa will prove to be the most meaningful and rewarding of his life.

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