Top officials of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) have begun arriving in Nigeria ahead of the highly anticipated African U-18 and U-20 Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place from July 16 to 20 at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Among the first to arrive are two notable members of Nigeria’s historic gold-winning 4x400m relay team from the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Fidelis Gadzama and Enefiok Udo-Obong. Gadzama, who now resides in the United Kingdom, heads the championships' Security Sub-committee, while Udo-Obong, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, leads the Technical Sub-committee.

Also arriving is Rosa Collins-Okah, a former triple jump champion and current head of the Ceremonial Sub-committee. Collins-Okah, who is based in Spain, played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s standout performance at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where Tobi Amusan and Ese Brume secured gold and silver medals, respectively.

Their arrival bolsters the efforts of other members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) already stationed in Abeokuta. According to LOC Secretary, Sagaya Abdulmumeen, preparations are in full swing, and all necessary arrangements have been made to ensure a smooth and successful championship.

The event is expected to draw top young athletic talents from across Africa, as Abeokuta gears up to host one of the continent's most significant youth athletics competitions.