Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to promote mental health for young people affected by conflict and the Invictus Games, which the prince launched to help wounded and sick service members and veterans.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, says it was “humbling” to discover through a genealogical test that she is partially Nigerian, when she visited with women in the West African country on Saturday. According to AP News, on her second day in Nigeria, she declared it “my country.”
The Duchess at an event on women in leadership co-hosted by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist and head of the World Trade Organization (WTO). “It’s been eye-opening to be able to know more about my heritage.
Never in a million years would I understand it as much as I do now. “And what has been echoed so much in the past day is, ‘Oh, we are not so surprised when we found out you are Nigerian.
“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful”. Meghan had announced on her podcast in October 2022 that she found out through DNA-based test that she was “43% Nigerian.”
Her first reaction after finding out was to tell her mother, she said at the event held in Abuja. “Being African-American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage and background … and it was exciting for both of us,” she said.
Mo Abudu, program anchor and Chief Executive of EbonyLife Media Group, then asked the audience to suggest a Nigerian name for Meghan. “Ifeoma,” someone shouted from the excited crowd, a name from Nigeria’s Igbo tribe which means ‘a treasured thing.’
“Omowale”, another suggested, from the Yoruba tribe, which means ‘the child has come home.’ Meghan joined female leaders such as Okonjo-Iweala to discuss the importance of mentorship for young women and the career challenges women face in a country like Nigeria, where it is not common for women to be in top leadership and political positions.
Asked by the anchor about how she feels about becoming the first woman and first African to lead the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala said it was long overdue.
“When I will feel right is when we stop saying, ‘the first woman to do this … to do that’. I have very mixed feelings about being the first woman because I think women should have been there already.” She also spoke about mentors who have helped her career, including as Nigeria’s former finance minister.
One way to mentor young girls is by “returning home” to be closer to them, Meghan said, citing the case of Okonjo-Iweala as an example.
“You need to come back home, you need to, at least, be a familiar face for the next generation to say, ‘Oh she looks like me and I can be that’,” she added.
Earlier in the day, Meghan watched as Harry and his Invictus Games team lost to the Nigerian military’s team in a sitting volleyball game. It featured soldiers recovering from injuries sustained in the country’s fight against Islamic extremists and other armed gangs in the country’s conflict-battered north. After the match held at the Nigerian Armed Forces’ Mess in Abuja, Harry and Meghan were surrounded by players, their families and a group of women who gifted Meghan a Nigerian fabric.
“We are friends and family supporters of Harry and Meghan,” said Peace Adetoro, 57, a member of the group. “They are a beautiful couple and we love them so much. We support them 100%.” Nigeria’s fashion and dancing styles were in the spotlight during the visit.