By Tayo Ogunseye
Giants of Africa, the non-profit organisation co-founded by Dallas Mavericks Team President Masai Ujiri, has opened three new basketball courts in Rwanda, extending its Built Within programme to all five provinces of the country.
The latest openings bring the organisation’s total to 53 courts across 16 African countries, taking it more than halfway towards its target of constructing 100 courts across the continent. Giants of Africa opened its 50th court at King’s College, Lagos, in May 2026.
The three courts were unveiled on consecutive days in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Sports, with ceremonies held in Nyagatare, Eastern Province, on Tuesday; Musanze, Northern Province, on Wednesday; and Nyanza, Southern Province, on Thursday.
The facilities are expected to benefit more than 9,500 young people, students and members of surrounding communities, providing greater access to basketball and opportunities for youth development.
In Nyagatare, the court, located near the University of Rwanda’s Nyagatare campus, is expected to serve more than 600 people, including university students and young people in the area.
The Musanze facility is situated at GS Marie Reine Rwaza, a Catholic boarding school with 900 students, while the court at Igihozo St Peter in Nyanza has the largest projected reach, with an estimated 8,000 people from the school and neighbouring institutions expected to benefit.
Giants of Africa highlighted the school’s motto, “To Know, To Love, To Serve,” as reflecting the values underpinning its Built Within initiative.
The new facilities complement existing courts in Rusizi, Western Province, and the City of Kigali. The Nyanza opening also marks Giants of Africa’s 14th basketball court in Rwanda, underlining the country’s importance to the organisation’s continental development strategy.
The organisation acknowledged the support of Rwanda’s Ministry of Sports and the Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) in delivering the projects.
With 14 of its 53 courts now located in Rwanda, Giants of Africa has established a significant presence in the East African nation of approximately 14 million people.
The expansion also builds on Rwanda’s growing profile in international basketball, driven in part by Kigali’s hosting of Basketball Africa League (BAL) games at BK Arena and the city’s role as a venue for the Giants of Africa Festival in recent years.
By extending its court-building initiative beyond the capital, the organisation is helping to broaden access to basketball infrastructure and opportunities for young people in communities where sporting facilities have historically been more concentrated in Kigali.
