After a bidding competition between Tunisia, Botswana and Nigeria, Senegal has been selected to host the next Youth Olympics, reports Al Jazeera.

The 2022 games will be held in Senegal's bustling capital city of Dakar, the newly developed city of Diamniadio as well as the coastal town of Saly.

This makes Senegal the first African nation to host an Olympic event.

"It is time for Africa. Africa is the home of many successful and prominent Olympic athletes," said Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), "Africa is a continent of youth."

The IOC voted unanimously during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang to grant hosting duties to an African nation. The committee says they chose Senegal because the country "offers a strong project and the greatest opportunities at this moment in time."

The nomination will be made official this October during the IOC's meeting in Argentina.

More and more, African nations are gaining recognition for their contributions to global athletics at the youth level. In July, it was announced that the upcoming Under 20 IAAF games will be hosted in Nairobi.