Prince Harry and his wife Meghan visited a school in Abuja to inaugurate an event focused on mental health for students. The couple's visit was covered by AFP. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled to Nigeria on Friday as part of their efforts to promote the Invictus Games, the sporting event Harry established for wounded military veterans.
On Friday, the couple landed in the Nigerian capital Abuja, where they attended a school to inaugurate an event focusing on mental health for students. Welcomed by a drum and dance ensemble representing the Igbo ethnic group, Prince Harry and Meghan toured the Lightway Academy, warmly greeted by the students.
"If you take anything away from today, just know that mental health affects every single person," he told students, wearing a traditional Nigerian bead necklace around his neck.
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"The more you talk about it the more you can kick stigma away."
Meghan accompanied the Duke of Sussex on stage before they departed for a meeting with Nigerian military commanders as part of the Invictus program. "It was really cool. I just wanted to touch him," said student Nnena Edeh, 13,as the prince left the school. "It was really inspiring."
Prince Harry was in London on Wednesday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the games. Like all his visits to the UK since relocating to the United States in 2020, his presence stirred renewed speculation about a potential reconciliation with his family.
Harry, a former army captain who served as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, established Invictus in 2014. Since its inception, the games have grown, promoting rehabilitation through sports.
Former Nigerian soldier Peacemaker Azuegbulam, who lost his leg in combat, made history last year by becoming the first African to win a gold medal at the games in Germany.
Nigeria's military announced on Thursday that Prince Harry would participate in a sporting event in the capital and also visit a military hospital in Kaduna, located in Nigeria's northwest, to meet with troops wounded in combat.
Later, he would travel to Lagos, the country's economic capital.
Nigeria's military is engaged in combating armed groups on multiple fronts. A persistent jihadist insurgency in the country's northeast has resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 people and displaced another 2 million since 2009.
Harry and Meghan arrived in Nigeria on Friday as part of Prince Harry's efforts to promote his Invictus Games initiative. The couple received a warm welcome at a school in Abuja, where they were greeted by a drum and dance ensemble representing the Igbo ethnic group, as reported by AFP.
