We are interested in the development of basketball in Nigeria – FIBA

The FIBA Executive Director, Africa -Dr Alphonse Bile, on Wednesday said the world governing board on basketball was seriously interested in the development of basketball in Nigeria.
Bile made this known to newsmen in Lagos following a lengthy meeting with members of the Nigeria Olympic Committee.
The meeting is part of FIBA fact finding mission to help resolve the issue of the leadership of the Nigeria Basketball Federation.
Bile was accompanied by the Adviser to FIBA Secretary General- Lubomir Kotleba and FIBA Competition Commission member, Fode Amara Conde.
He said the progress of basketball in Nigeria was the association’s major priority.
The three-man team had earlier met with the Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung in Abuja on Monday.
They also met with factional leaders of the NBBF, Tijanni Umar and Musa Kida to resolve the crisis of who heads and occupies the current board.
Bile said: “We are here to get facts on the ground to help resolve the crisis in Nigeria.
“As a group, we are more concerned with the success and the position Nigeria occupies in basketball as one of the leading African nations at both the junior and senior men and women levels.
“We will submit the facts we got from all parties concerned to solve the problem on ground.
“We are confident that it will all be over by March when the FIBA board looks into all we will give them.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that crisis started during last year June12/13 elections held in Kano and Abuja respectively which brought in two boards one led by Umar and the other by Kida.