Volleyball and an address to army veterans were the highlights of Prince Harry and Meghan visit to Nigeria. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew to Nigeria for a three-day tour. It was their first visit to this West African country which they have spoken about highly in the past. Landing in Nigeria on May 10 for the three-day tour was a dream come true.
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How Did Prince Harry and Meghan Visit to Nigeria Go?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Nigerian visit started in Abuja on day one where the couple went to Lightway Academy. The pair met with pupils of all ages and declared a new alliance between their Archewell Foundation and the GEANCO Foundation. These two foundations centre their focus on mental awareness for the youth.
As a result of the new alliance, there will be more youth mental health resources and training availed by Archewell and GEANCO Foundations. Besides mental health, the couple’s foundation works will also help Nigerian girls and young women by offering menstrual health products and educational programs.
The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle in Nigeria. Photo/AP/Sunday Alamba
Was Prince Harry and Meghan Invited to Nigeria?
Prince Harry and Meghan visit to Nigeria follows an invitation by General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff. General Musa holds the highest military rank in Nigeria. The Duke of Sussex has an impressive military career record having served in the British Army for 10 years. Prince Harry served between 2005 and 2015. He was deployed in Afghanistan twice during the time he served in the military.
As an army veteran, Harry visited injured army officers in one of the military hospitals in Nigeria’s administrative capital.
Where Did Meghan and Prince Harry Visit in Nigeria?
Prince Harry and Meghan visit to Nigeria took them to different places, among them Lightway Academy and a military hospital. General Musa thereafter treated them to a grand reception. Harry and Meghan later visited the Armed Forces’ Officers Mess for a seated volleyball match. They sat excitedly with green and white scarves draped down their shoulders.
Harry was then challenged to play with the squad. Two teams quickly came up; Team CDS and Team Harry. Prince Harry played a few rounds while seated as most players had sustained injuries in the war against Boko Haram. The Islamist insurgents remain Nigeria’s biggest threat to peace and a dozen soldiers have been maimed in the fight.
Among them is Peacemaker Azuegbulam who lost a limb during a faceoff with Boko Haram. According to BBC, Azuegbulam transitioned to paralympic sports and even won a gold medal at the Invictus Games in Germany last year. He made a record by being the first African Paralympian to win a gold medal.
Nigeria was the first African country to compete in the Invictus Games. It is a sports event for injured veterans and members of the armed forces that Prince Harry co-founded in 2014. Harry talked about the excitement the Nigerian team brought to the games in Düsseldorf, Germany. Through a nonprofit organization, Nigeria Unconquered, it assists wounded, ill, and disabled service members in “finding new purpose” via sports.
Nigeria Unconquered will assemble Nigeria’s squad for the Invictus Games in Canada 2025. Prince Harry and Meghan visit to Nigeria also involved a leadership summit for women. Meghan was hosted by the World Trade Organization Director General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. On Sunday, the couple held a basketball clinic under Nigeria Unconquered.
The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan Markle in Nigeria. Photo/AP/Sunday Alamba
Is Meghan Markle Nigerian?
In one of her 2022 episodes of her Archetypes podcast, Meghan revealed that a genealogy test showed that she is 43% Nigerian. Her heritage is greatly fascinating. She is an American-born actress, from California and is also fully schooled in the US. However, she has lived her entire life in Los Angeles, where she made her acting debut at Northwestern University. But her genealogy tests indicated that she is also a West African native.
Even with Prince Harry and Meghan visit to Nigeria; the Duchess of Sussex remains grateful for her African heritage now that she is a member of the British Royal Family. Meghan was not born into the Royal Family. But she is married to Prince Harry, who has a strong lineage of royalty. Naturally, Harry is British, whereas Meghan is American.
Her mixed-race nature of their marriage has always created some doubt over her place in the Royal Family.
Conclusion
Following their departure from their positions as senior working royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan are on their first in Nigeria. They are fond of this country much more because of Meghan’s ancestry in West Africa. Moreover, their visit means a lot to war veterans in Nigeria.
