Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Nigeria today, May 10th, and have already kicked off their special outing with a first visit to Lightway Academy, a school in the capital city of Abuja.
The royal couple were welcomed by lots of cheers, hugs and a banner that read “We Are Honoured To Have You! and were also treated to a performance by singers and dancers. During the visit to the school run by the GEANCO Foundation and supported by the couple’s own Archewell Foundation, the Duke and Duchess championed the importance of mental well-being in their speeches at the inaugural mental health summit.
“Too many people don’t want to talk about it ’cause it’s invisible. It’s something in our minds that we can’t see. It’s not like a broken leg, it’s not like a broken wrist,” the Prince emphasised. “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.”
Meghan echoed this sentiment: “We are honoured to have our first visit to Nigeria be here with all of you. We believe in you, we believe in your teachers and we believe in your ability to continue to tell your stories and to just be honest with each other. There is no need to suffer in silence.” “Make sure you are taking care of yourselves, and that begins with mental health, by really talking about whatever’s coming up for you,” she added.
The Duke and Duchess’ visit comes at the invitation of General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Chief of Defence Staff. Their agenda promotes the Invictus Games – an international multi-sport event founded in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans, in which Nigeria recently participated for the first time.
Last year, former Nigerian soldier Peacemaker Azuegbulam, who lost his leg in combat, became the first African to win a gold at the games in Germany.
Following the school visit, the couple will meet with the Chief of Defence Staff and travel to Kaduna to visit the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital and offer support to injured service members.
Their itinerary for Saturday, May 11th, includes a lighthearted volleyball match between Prince Harry’s team and the Chief of Defence Staff’s team. Later, they will attend a reception for military families, and Meghan will co-host a “Women in Leadership” event alongside World Trade Organisation director-general, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The final leg of their three-day visit will see the couple travel to Lagos, the country’s economic capital. There, they will meet with the governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and attend a “basketball clinic” called Giants of Africa.
Their arrival at the Lights Academy
Watch the Duke and Duchess play with students of the Lightway Academy
Prince Harry addresses the mental health summit