Prince Harry and his wife Megan Markle have arrived in Nigeria for a three-day visit, after the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Invictus games in the United Kingdom.
The visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex follows an invitation from the Nigerian Defense Ministry.
On Friday, May 10, 2024, the couple made a stop at the Lightway Academy College, a school in Abuja that benefits from the Archwell Foundation, to champion mental health. Prince Harry spoke to the students about breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and acknowledging how they feel.
“Every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health. So therefore, you have to look after yourself to be able to look after other people. And other people have to be able to look after themselves, to look after you,” Prince Harry told the students. “And there is no shame in being able to acknowledge that today is a bad day, OK?”.
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The Royals were also given a quick tour of the school, which included a visit to a STEM class to have a look at robot cars built by some of the students.
The couple then proceeded to Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, where they attended a meeting with Gen.Christopher Musa, the country’s chief of defense staff to talk about the Invictus Games.
Abidemi Marquis, the Director of Sports for the military, stated that the Invictus Games has aided in the recovery of its soldiers, who have been fighting the Boko Haram Islamic extremists.
“Eighty percent of our soldiers that have been involved in this recovery program are getting better. Their outlook to life is positive. The programme has improved their self-esteem, mental health, and emotional intelligence,” he said.
Prince Harry is expected to meet with injured soldiers and their families at a local military hospital in Kaduna on Saturday, May 11, 2024, and also to show his solidarity with the soldiers battling Islamic extremists in the northeast region of the nation.
Meghan Markle will also co-host a Women in Leadership event with the World Trade Organization’s Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
According to their spokesperson, Prince Harry and Meghan will travel to Lagos to attend basketball and volleyball matches, as well as meet with local non-governmental organisations in Abuja and Lagos on Sunday.
The Invictus Games is an international sporting event for wounded and sick servicemen and women who are either veterans or active duty military personnel. The word ‘Invictus’ is Latin for ‘unconquered’ and was chosen to represent the fighting spirit of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel, as well as what they can achieve.
Nigeria first competed in the Invictus Games in Dussledoff, Germany, in 2023. This made Nigeria the first African nation to participate in the games.
