The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) have published its 2018 Candidate City Manual, the start of the formal process to determine which city hosts the 21st Commonwealth Games.

The document is sent to all 71 Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs), who have until March 31, 2010, to notify the CGF of their intention to bid and must pay a non-returnable £60,000 candidature fee by the end of April.

That starts a formal process of information exchange, with final bids to be lodged by May 11, 2011, six months before the CGF General Assembly meets in St Kitts and Nevis to award the rights to host the 2018 Games.

Abuja will be the early favourites because the Games, which were first held in 1930, have never been staged in Africa.

Durban could also be strong African candidates but may decide to bid for the 2020 Olympics instead while Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, have also investigated the possibility of putting forward themselves as candidates.

Port-of-Spain in Trinidad and Tobago are also considering a bid in an attempt to bring the Games back to the Caribbean for the first time since Kingston staged them in 1966.

But Abuja's main rivals are expected to emerge from either Auckland or the Gold Coast.

Both are considering bidding but neither has yet confirmed that they definitely will.

The Gold Coast bid will depend on whether Australia's campaign to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup is successful or not.

Auckland, who hosted the Games in 1990, are due to make a final decision about whether to bid in February.

Barry Maister, the secretary general of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, does not think any other candidates from the Commonwealth.

He said: "It's unlikely at this stage that anyone else would come out of the woodwork."

The 2018 Candidate City Manual is available to download by clicking here.

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