Everything Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Did during Their Three-Day Visit to Nigeria

Lightway Academy Abuja

On Friday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in the capital city of Abuja, and their first stop was at Lightway Academy. At the school, they were met by cheerful students who gifted them beaded necklaces. Following the warm welcome was a tour of the school, with a few stops along the way.

In one of the stops, Prince Harry spoke to kindergarten students about mental health and the importance of empathy. The couple also launched a mental health summit by the GEANCO foundation, a local NGO that, amongst other projects, partners with the Duke and Duchess’ Archewell Foundation to provide mental and menstrual health care to young people.

A Visit to Wounded Soldiers in Kaduna State

Later on Friday, the royal couple visited Kaduna state where they were welcomed by Governor Sani Uba. In their short time at the State House, the governor gifted the duke traditional hausa attire and two framed pictures, one of him and his wife, and the other of him with his mother, Princess Diana. The framed picture with his mother carries a cultural significance, as the late Princess of Wales was much beloved and hugely popular amongst Nigerian women in the 1980s and ‘90s.

After the State House welcome, Prince Harry visited wounded soldiers at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in northern Kaduna. The duke met up with about 50 soldiers across two wards, listening to their service stories and wishing them speedy recovery. He also toured the hospital’s facilities alongside the chief medical director, Col. N.S. Onuchukwu, taking in the physiotherapy gym and high-tech prosthetics lab.

A Sitting Volleyball Game

Having returned to Abuja, Prince Harry attended a reception for military families at the Nigerian Army officers’ mess on Saturday night. In his speech, he recounted his visit to the hospital in Kaduna and the effect it had on him. “What this proved to me, what this reminds me of, is the power of seeing what is possible post injury,” he said.

The duke also added that there’s an ongoing project for a new Invictus Center and seeing the plans “gives me goosebumps.” Earlier that day, the duke had participated in a sitting volleyball game alongside several army veterans, while the duchess watched from the side of the court. It was part of their visit to the charity organization, Nigeria: Unconquered, which is responsible for putting together the teams for the Invictus Games.

The duchess hosts a women’s leadership event

In between the sitting volleyball game and the military reception, the duchess co-hosted a women’s leadership panel alongside Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Moderated by media mogul Mo Abudu, the pair discussed the importance of female leadership and empowerment in driving positive global change.

Attended by over 50 leading women in politics, business and media, Markle used the panel to share her views on the idea of work-life balance, recounting lessons learned from her time as an actor, most notably on the legal drama show, Suits. “You can be a woman, you can be beautiful and intelligent,” she said.

“[Work/life] balance will always change for you. That balance, what seemed balanced 10 years ago is going to shift. And so being a mom has always been a dream of mine. And I'm so fortunate that we have two beautiful, healthy, very chatty sweet children.”

Markle, who revealed that she’s 43 percent Nigerian on an October 2022 episode of her podcast, Archetypes, wore a red gown from the Nigerian fashion brand, Oríré, during the panel.

A closeout visit to Lagos

On Sunday, the royal couple arrived in Lagos from Abuja, and they were greeted by a dance troupe at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal II. After a quick attire change, they paid a courtesy visit to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who offered kind, glowing words about Prince Harry’s work with Invictus Games and army veterans in general.

“We’re indeed happy for what they’re doing, especially for our military men on conversations around mental health and how they can manage people, who require support both in the military and private.”

In the late afternoon, the royal couple visited Ilupeju Grammar School, unveiling a partnership between Archewell Foundation and Giants of Africa, the non-profit founded by the Toronto Raptors’ president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri. Giants of Africa has been involved in socially impactful projects through basketball programs, building and refurbishing courts across Nigeria and Africa, donating sports gear to young people, hosting camps and funding scholarships.

At the Giants of Africa court in Ilupeju Grammar School, the duke participated in basketball drills with students, while the duchess joined in some of the dancing that marked the event.