Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle concluded their 3-day visit to Nigeria on Sunday, advocating for global support for wounded servicemen in one of Africa’s largest nations.
After two days in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex headed to Lagos for other activities before leaving Nigeria.
They were received by Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his wife, Ibijoke.
The couple arrived in Nigeria on Friday to promote the Invictus Games, an initiative by Prince Harry aimed at garnering global support for wounded-in-action troops and veterans.
During a courtesy visit to the governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, Prince Harry expressed his intentions to ”uplift the spirits and boost the morale of wounded servicemen, despite their sacrifices.”
Before the visit, Prince Harry met with wounded troops at a military referral hospital in Kaduna, where Nigerian forces are currently conducting a special military operation in the state.
Defence journalist Moses Abiimaje, who covered the royal couple’s visit to Kaduna, expressed hope that the historic visit would lead to global support for wounded veterans, acknowledging the sacrifices made by military personnel for peace and security in Nigeria and Africa.
On Saturday, Prince Harry played a volleyball match with injured soldiers organised by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, who described the visit as ”inspiring and indicative of global concern for Nigeria’s security situation.”
Meanwhile, Meghan attended an event in Abuja for the families of military personnel, where she watched traditional dances and African cultural displays.
She also participated in a forum on women in leadership, co-hosted by the head of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Reflecting on her experience, Meghan expressed gratitude for the opportunity to engage with Nigerian culture and reiterated her commitment to supporting initiatives that empower women and honour military personnel.
Experts say the visit of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Nigeria underscores the importance of international solidarity in addressing challenges faced by wounded servicemen and promoting gender equality and leadership opportunities for women.
Recall that famous British news presenter Bev Turner had criticised Meghan days before the visit to Nigeria.
Ingrid Seward, Editor of Majesty Magazine, also joined the in criticizing Meghan, suggesting it could be related to their new projects.
Turner echoed these sentiments, referring to Meghan as the “ultimate narcissist” and suggesting that the trip might include a Netflix documentary.
