Pierre de Coubertin was the one who conceived of such an event. He is also the one who renovated the modern Olympic Games. Although there was some teething problem initially, this sport event has today become an Olympic equal for the continent of Africa.
For almost the first fifty years it has been witnessed that countries that have topped the medal list are South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. Last few events have shown some remarkable improvements with countries like Tunisia, Senegal, Kenya, Ethiopia, Algeria and Cameroon coming and managing to get hold of some medals!
The first African games were held in Brazzaville, Congo between 18th and 25th of July 1965. The 2nd African games were not through due to a Military Coup. The 3rd African Games were held in Lagos, Nigeria between 7th and 18th January 1973. Both these games saw Egypt topping the medal list. The 1978 African Games was held in Algiers, Algeria between 13th July and 28th July the same year and Tunisia won the maximum number of medals. The fourth African games were then hosted only in the year 1987 in Nairobi, Kenya between 1st of August and 12th of August 1978. Egypt was again the topping the medal ranking list. The 1991 American games were held in Cairo, Egypt between September 20th and October 1st, 1991. Once again the host country won the maximum number of medals in this event. Harare, Zimbabwe hosted in 1995 the African Games between 13th and 23rd of September. South Africa had won the largest number of medals this event. The seventh the African Games held in Johannesburg, South Africa made the host country once again top the medal ranking list. This sporting event was held between 10th and 19th of September 1999. The next Pan African Games, as it sometimes called was held in 2003 October in Abuja, Nigeria, followed by 2007 the African games in Algiers, Algeria.
The tenth the African Games are scheduled to be hosted in Lusaka, Zambia in the year 2011. The host country for 2015 African Games will soon be decided.
Some of the countries who have done extremely well are briefed here below with the number of medals they have won so far. Egypt occupies the first position in medal ranking with 431 gold, 328 silver, and 320 bronze medals (a total of 1079 medals). This is followed by Nigeria with 303 gold, 277 silver and 256 bronze (total of 836 medals). South Africa has to its credit 198 gold, 174 silver and 137 bronze (total 509 medals). Algeria has won 132 gold, 152 silver and 189 bronze (total 473 medals). Tunisia has managed 123 gold, 106 silver and 133 bronze (total 362 medals). Kenya has got 90 gold, 97 silver and 104 bronze (total of 291 medals). This is followed by Senegal with 40 gold, 40 silver and 73 bronze (total 153 medals). Ghana has won 26 gold, 38 silver and 64 bronze (total 128 medals). Ethiopia has got 23 gold, 29 silver and 34 bronze (total 86 medals). Cameroon has got 20 gold, 42 silver and 81 bronze (total 143 medals). Uganda has won 17 gold, 19 silver and 33 bronze (total of 69 medals). Côte d'Ivoire has won 17 gold, 18 silver and 33 silver (total 68 medals). Madagascar has won 10 gold, 15 silver and 33 bronze (total 58 medals). Tanzania has managed with 4 gold, 8 silver, and 10 bronze (total 22 medals).The list is endless but what is good about these games are that even the countries like Mali, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo-Brazzaville, Burkina Faso, Togo and Niger managed some medals even if their numbers are trivial.