Toronto University bestows honorary doctorate degree on Ujiri

Masai Ujiri

In Toronto, Masai Ujiri is beloved as the architect of the Raptors’ first NBA championship title. In Nigeria and Africa in general, he is loved greatly for his contributions to the development of the game of basketball.

Before he became the trailblazing president of a major-league basketball team, Ujiri was known as a passionate advocate for the role of sport to educate and enrich the lives of African youth.

For his achievements as an NBA team president and a humanitarian committed to meaningful social change, Ujiri was on Friday awarded a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the University of Toronto.

Ujiri is currently involved in building 100 standard basketball courts across Africa. The first set of the courts was fully developed and handed over to communities and schools across Africa in the last quarter of 2021.

The project is handled through the Giant of Africa Foundation, which he co-founded, and has donated courts in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Senegal between September and May 2022.

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