The three-day private visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is scheduled to begin on Friday in Nigeria. On the Chief of Defence Staff’s (CDS) request, Harry and Meghan are traveling to Nigeria to meet with injured soldiers.
Air Vice Marshal Abidemi Marquis, Director of Sports at Defence Headquarters (DHQ), announced this on Thursday. According to Marquis, Harry, the creator of Invictus Games, would meet with injured troops and their families in Nigeria for three days.
The visit, which is scheduled for May 10–13, 2024, will aid the injured soldiers’ recuperation, according to the director of DHQ sports.
“We realised that 80% of our soldiers have been involved in this recovery programme, they are getting better. Their outlook to life is positive,” AVM Marquis said.
He added that the visit will help their injured troops in their recovery “to improve their personal self-esteem to improve their mental health. Their emotional intelligence has been improved and also their families seeing them, as they used to be breadwinners who are capable of continuing living. So this engagement with Invictus is giving us the opportunity for the recovery for our soldiers.”
“So, to be specific, now, they will be arriving here tomorrow (Friday) and they will be received, and the reception will be a quiet reception because they will be traveling 14 hours to get to this place. They will be taken to the hotel,” AVM Marquis added.
He said after resting at the hotel, the couple will return to visit the Chief of Defence Staff by 12 noon on Friday.
The Director added that Prince Harry and wife would visit their own Wuse Light Academy, an institution supported by their non-governmental organization before seeing Nigeria’s security chief.
Subsequently, they will proceed to Kaduna State to visit the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital where the wounded and injured soldiers are kept for their medical recovery.
“On Saturday, we’ll be having like an exhibition of novelty match. The CDS team and the Duke team will be having a volleyball match at armed forces officers mess in the morning. And this is just to engage with the wounded and injured soldiers. It’s a sitting volleyball match coming in the morning.
“So after that, we have a programme for them by 01:00 pm. A reception, where they will be interacting with families of wounded and injured soldiers and families of soldiers and officers killed in action and service members generally,” the Director said.
On Sunday, AVM Marquis said the couple will pay a courtesy visit on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, and also visit a basketball court for the school their NGO is supporting in Lagos where a basketball exhibition Match will be held.
A reception is also expected to be organised for the couple on Sunday before returning to Abuja in preparation for their departure from the country on Monday.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to Nigeria is anticipated to involve not just their interactions with the military but also cultural exchanges and educational opportunities centered around the nation’s rich history and different communities. The goal of the royal couple’s immersion in Nigerian culture and customs is to gain a deeper understanding of the nation and establish enduring relationships with its citizens. Anxiety and excitement are high as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get ready to travel to Nigeria. Their visit serves as a show of goodwill and collaboration between the United Kingdom and Nigeria, as well as a show of support for injured soldiers. As they engage with both military personnel and citizens in the coming days.
