Prince Harry’s Baby Picture, and 8 Moving Events From the Duke and Duchess’ Visit to Nigeria
- Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on May 10, 2024, for a humanitarianism outreach that was filled with other exciting side attractions
- Reports have it that in March 1990, Harry's parents, King Charles and Princess Diana, received a similar warm welcome in Lagos during an official visit
- The couple had the busiest 72 hours of their life while in the country, among which Meghan bagged two African titles and the Duke, nostalgic moments from his childhood
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had one of the most memorable times of their lives during their 3-day visit to Nigeria to promote the Duke's Invictus Games for wounded military personnel.
Nigeria took part in the Invictus Games for the first time last year, and this trip commemorates ten years of the tournament.
Source: Instagram
The Duke of Sussex and his wife arrived in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, on Friday, May 10, courtesy of the country's chief of defence staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR. On Sunday, they rounded up their tour in Lagos with a funfair and fundraising event for wounded soldiers, among other captivating activities.
Mental health summit with Lightway Academy pupils
Immediately after the red carpet reception the British couple received on their first day in Nigeria, Abuja precisely, they kicked off a two-day mental health summit at Lightway Academy.
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In an interactive session, Harry asked the children to raise their hands if the term "mental health" scared them or if they understood what it meant before he addressed the delicate topic.
The Duke informed the students that he wanted them to remember that mental health affects everyone regardless of status and age. He ended his speech by noting, "It's okay, not to be okay."
Set up initiative for mental health resources
During their stop at the Lightway Academy in Abuja, the couple announced a new partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the GEANCO Foundation, which will now include mental health resources and training for young Nigerian men and women.
This partnership is in addition to Archewell's existing initiative dedicated to providing menstrual health products and education to Nigerian adolescents and young women.
An evening with wounded Nigerian soldiers
Still, on his first day in the country, the Duke of Sussex visited Kaduna state on Friday. He met with wounded and injured Nigerian soldiers at the 44th Nigerian Army Reference Hospital. While Meghan remained in the capital city of Abuja, Harry visited the hospital alone with his escorts.
Harry observed about six wards, seeing rows of young men healing from a variety of injuries, including gunshot wounds, Boko Haram ambushes, and limb loss caused by bombings.
Prince Harry receives portrait of Diana holding him as a child
During his visit to Kaduna state, the Duke was welcomed by the governor of the state, Uba Sani, with other government officials.
According to reports, Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, visited the state on February 2, 1959, and was received by the late premier of the defunct Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
Gov Uba gifted Prince Harry a traditional Hausa attire and photo frames of him with his late mother, Princess Diana, and another with his wife, Meghan Markle on their wedding day.
Meghan co-hosts event with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
On the second day of their trip, Meghan Markle joined Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organisation, in a candid panel discussion.
The event, anchored by Nigerian media mogul Mo Abudu, saw over 50 prominent women from various sectors in the country, including politics, business, media, and culture, attend the session.
During her speech, Meghan expressed her passion for motherhood but confessed that combining family and profession presented its own set of obstacles. The session continued with discussing the significance of women in powerful positions.
Meghan Markle opens up about her Nigerian ancestry
During her panel discussion with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Meghan Markle revealed that after discovering she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test, the first thing she did was call her mum.
"Because I wanted to know if she had any awareness of it," she said.
"Never in a million years would I have understood it as much as I do now," Meghan continued. "It's been really eye-opening and humbling to be able to know more about my heritage and to be able to know this is just the beginning of that discovery."
The talk then took a warm turn. Mo Abudu, the anchor, asked the audience to offer Meghan a Nigerian name. The audience erupted with suggestions, including "Ifeoma" (meaning "a treasured thing" in Igbo) and "Omowale" (meaning "the child has come home" in Yoruba).
Prince Harry and Meghan join young basketballers in court
On Sunday, May 12, being their last day in Nigeria, Prince Harry and Meghan flew down to Lagos and joined Giants of Africa for a youth basketball clinic at Ilupeju Grammar School.
The British couple took part in the training sessions involving young basketball players from Ilupeju Grammar School and wheelchair basketball athletes from the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association in Nigeria.
They also supported the construction of a new basketball court in Abuja through their Archewell Foundation in partnership with Giants of Africa (a non-profit organisation co-founded by Toronto Raptors vice-chairman and president Masai Ujiri).
Harry and Meghan attend fundraising event for wounded soldiers
On the final leg of their Nigeria tour, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended a charity polo tournament tagged 'Nigeria: Unconquered'.
As their 72-hour vacation in Nigeria ended, Meghan changed into her third outfit of the day to watch the charity polo match with her husband.
The Sussexes spent the day at the lush mansion of the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, before heading to the city's polo club on the island.
The charity match, which included the couple as "special guests', was organised to 'support and elevate' injured soldiers.
Three powerful traditional rulers honour Meghan with royal titles
During their rounding hours in Nigeria, the lovely couple met with three renowned traditional rulers: the Obi of Onitsha, his Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe; the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi; and the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III.
The Obi of Onitsha christened Meghan 'Ada Mazi,' which means 'the daughter of the Igbo ancestral palace.'
The Oluwo of Iwoland christened her with the Yoruba name 'Adetokunbo,' which translates to 'royalty from across the seas.'
Throughout the three-day visit, the couple focused on their passion: sports rehabilitation, mental health, and women's empowerment.
As they bid farewell to Nigeria, the adorable duo expressed gratitude for the hospitality received. Meghan, overwhelmed by the love from her long-lost ancestral country, promised to make it back someday.
"Thank you so much for these beautiful names, she said, "I can't wait to come back,"
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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