Prince Harry alongside his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria amid pomp and dancing on Friday to champion mental health for young people affected by conflicts and to promote the Invictus Games, which the prince founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick service members and veterans.
The couple who are in the West African nation for the first time on the invitation of its military, began their three-day visit by going to the Lightway Academy school which receives support from their Archewell foundation to train young girls affected by conflicts in Nigeria, before going on to meet with the nation’s military officers.
The couple are to meet with wounded soldiers and their families in what Nigerian officials have said is a show of support to improve the morale of the soldiers, including those fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists in the country’s northeast.
Prince Harry served in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter copilot gunner, after which he founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to offer wounded veterans and servicemembers the challenge of competing in sports events similar to the Paralympics. Nigeria was among the nations that participated in last year’s edition of the games.
At the Abuja school where they kicked off an inaugural mental health summit organized by local non-profit GEANCO, which partners with their foundation, the couple were received by a dancing troupe and a crowd of excited students and teachers.
“We’ve got to acknowledge those amazing dance moves!” Meghan said.
“My husband was excited to jump up!”
They then went into the classrooms to interact with the children, who showed robot cars they had built.
They spoke to a group of pupils at the school – which is supported by the couple’s Archewell Foundation – about mental health, and referenced when someone has ‘lost a loved one in your family and you don’t know who to turn to or who to speak to’.
The Duke – who was 12 and his brother William 15 when Diana died in Paris in 1997 – added that there was ‘no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day’.
“In some cases around the world … there is a stigma when it comes to mental health. Too many people don’t want to talk about it,” Harry said.
“So will you promise to us that after today, no more being scared, no more being unsure of mental health?”
Meghan however praised her husband’s openness.
Some of the students who couldn’t hide their excitement at meeting the couple expressed their joy noting that Harry and Meghan are in supportive of each other.
The couple then went to Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters where they were received by servicemen and their wives before going into a private meeting with Nigeria’s chief of defense staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
During their stay, Harry and Meghan will also attend basketball and volleyball matches in Abuja and Lagos. Meghan will co-host an event on women in leadership with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization, according to the couple’s spokesperson, Charlie Gipson.
The news of Meghan’s visit excited some in Nigeria where her life — and association with the British royal family — is closely followed. Meghan has also said in the past that she found out through a genealogy test that she was 43% Nigerian.
The Nigerian military has touted the Invictus Games as one which could help the recovery of thousands of its personnel who have been fighting the homegrown Boko Haram Islamic extremists and their factions since 2009 when they launched an insurgency.
“Eighty percent of our soldiers that have been involved in this recovery program are getting better (and) their outlook to life is positive,” Marquis, the military’s sports director, said.
“The recovery program has given them an opportunity to improve their personal self-esteem, to improve their mental health and emotional intelligence.”
