The 21st African Athletics Championships will now be held in Lagos, Nigeria on June 23-27 2021 after extensive discussions between the country's Ministry of Youth and Development and the Confederation of African Athletics.
The championships had been initially scheduled for Algiers, Algeria but the North Africans pulled out citing rising cases of coronavirus infections.
"Nigeria is poised to host the championships in the megacity of Lagos from June 23-27 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium with auxiliary support to be provided at the National Stadium, Surulere and the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba both in Lagos," the ministry and the confederation said in a joint statement.
The two parties said they are working hard on delivering an elite championship devoid of unfortunate incidents that may blight the on-field and track performances.
"Issues relating to the hosting of the championships were fully deliberated upon and modalities for a successful hosting of the championships were carefully mapped out. We are fully committed and working in synergy towards the delivery of a world-class championships," they said.
The latest development is a relief for many athletes countrywide and continentally who had set sights on the championships as a springboard to other events, such as the Tokyo Olympics.