The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, and wife Meghan, have just arrived at ‘The Delborough Lagos’ Victoria Island, Lagos, in continuation of their visit to Nigeria to promote Invictus Games and mental health.
The Duke and the Duchess of Sussex are slated to have lunch with eminent Nigerians in the luxury hotel as part of the highlights of their tour in Nigeria.
Harry and Meghan, on Saturday, earlier met with the Nigerian businessman and owner of ‘The Delborough Lagos’, Dr Uzochukwu Stanley in Abuja.
The couple is in Nigeria on a three-day visit to promote Invictus Games, where Prince Harry played a seated volleyball match with Nigerian Army veterans, mostly wounded in battle against the country’s Islamist insurgency, on Saturday.
At an Officer’s Mess complex in Abuja, Harry’s team dressed in yellow played off in an exhibition against a team led by Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
The Duke and the Duchess, visiting the West African nation, Nigeria, for the first time on the invitation of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, began their three-day visit by going to the Lightway Academy, 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.
At the Abuja school where they kicked off an inaugural mental health summit organised by a local non-profit GEANCO, which partners with their Foundation, the couple was 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 students, who showed robot cars they had built.
They spoke to the students about mental health, and about their own children, Archie and Lilibet.
“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 praised her husband’s openness.
“You see why I’m married to him?” she said of Harry amid cheers, before urging the schoolchildren to never be ashamed of their experiences in life. “It is a complete honour to have our first visit to Nigeria; be here with all of you. We believe in you. We believe in your future,” she said.
Student Nnenna Okorie couldn’t hide her excitement at meeting the couple. “She is the prettiest human being ever,” said Okorie, a senior student at the school. “I admire her so much and then Harry. I love how he is so supportive,” she said.
The couple then went to Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, where they were received by servicemen and their wives before going into a private meeting with Nigeria’s chief of defence staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.