The Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived in Nigeria on a three day visit.
The trip is primarily to promote Prince Harry’s pet project the Invictus Games in which injured service men and women from armed forces around the world compete against each other in various sports and events.
The couple have already visited some schools and foundations this morning and also with the Chief of Defence Staff.
And thus began the visit of Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Nigeria, sitting on the floor and chatting away with a group of four and five year old pulis at the Lights Academy in Abuja.
They were attending the inaugural mental health summit at the school run which is by a local non-profit supported by their Archwell foundation in Nigeria’s capital Abuja,
Harry and Meghan were received with cheers and entertained by dancers and singers.
Then it was time to talk about mental health, which carries deep-rooted stigma in Nigeria.
“So, if you take anything away from today, just know that mental health affects every single person in the entire world,” said Harry.
Meghan said they were honored to make their first visit to Nigeria and urged the students not to suffer in silence.
The couple also visited a kindergarten class, and when introduced to a five-year-old student, the oldest in the class, Meghan said: “Our son Archie’s five. He turned five last week.”
The couple were also in Nigeria at the invitation of the chief of defence staff, to promote the prince’s pet project The Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event now in its tenth year for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, from around the world both serving and veterans.
Last year, when the games were held in Dusseldorf Germany, Nigeria became the first African nation to take part in the games winning several medals along the way.
This visit was a thank you visit by the Prince and the Nigerian Army is also exploring the possibility of hosting the games in the future.
Nigerians have eagerly anticipated this visit, ever since it was announced late last year, moreso because Meghan recently announced that a genealogy test has revealed that she has 46% Nigerian ancestry. When asked how it felt to be back home. She simply smiled and touched her heart.
Next the couple are off to Kaduna where they will meet some injured service men and women. And then they are off to Lagos where they will attend basketball and a polo games. The couple depart Nigeria on Monday
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
