The Duke and Duchess of Sussex embarked on what was officially dubbed a 3-day private visit to Nigeria, yet it unfolded with all the grandeur and attention typically reserved for royal tours.
Their first day saw them receive a red-carpet welcome complete with cultural dancers following their arrival in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, where they kicked off a multi-day mental health summit at Lightway Academy.
There, they also unveiled a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the GEANCO Foundation to provide students with school supplies and menstrual products.
The pair had been invited to the West African nation by the country’s highest-ranking military official, Christopher Musa. After meeting him at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, Meghan signed a guest book thanking officials for “welcoming me home.”
Despite the private nature of their visit, the couple’s itinerary resembled previous official tours they carried out before stepping back as senior working royals in 2020.
They were warmly received everywhere they went, with Nigerians showcasing their famed hospitality. The couple were showered with gifts, including a touching portrait of a young Harry with his mum.
For both Nigeria and the Sussexes, this visit held significant weight.
It was an opportunity for Nigeria to demonstrate its capability to host such high-profile guests and dispel any doubts raised by skeptics, especially considering the country’s standing in the eyes of the UK’s Foreign Office as one of the most dangerous countries to visit in the world.
Nigeria has security issues with a terrorist insurgency in the northeast and northwest. However, it is a huge country — larger than the US state of Texas — and the other areas visited by the royal couple over the past several days are relatively safe.