The Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry and wife, Meghan, had a volleyball match with Nigerian Army veterans met with Nigerian businessman, Dr Uzochukwu Stanley on Saturday.
The couple are in Nigeria on a three-day visit to promote his Invictus Games, where Prince Harry played a seated volleyball match with army veterans, most 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 country’s top commander.
The Sussex and the Duchess, in the West African nation, Nigeria for the first time on the invitation of its military, began their three-day visit by going to the Lightway Academy school 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 organized by local non-profit GEANCO, which partners with their foundation, the couple were 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!” Meghan said.
They then went into the classrooms to interact with the children, 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 honor 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 Defense Headquarters where they were received by servicemen and their wives before going into a private meeting with Nigeria’s chief of defense staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.