Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has embraced her Nigerian roots.
On 25 October 2022, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Meghan, on her podcast, Archetypes, titled ‘Upending the angry black woman myth’, revealed she is 43 per cent Nigerian.
Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to promote the Invictus Games.
The Invictus Games, created by Prince Harry, is an international multi-sport event first held in 2014 for wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.
The couple aims to promote the Invictus Games following Harry’s meeting with the Nigerian team and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, a general, at the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Meghan co-hosted Women in Leadership with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), on Saturday in Abuja.
She joined forces with Mrs Okonjo-Iweala and other prominent female figures at the event to delve into the significance of mentorship for young women and the hurdles they encounter in their careers, especially in nations like Nigeria, where women occupying top leadership and political roles are still uncommon.
Meghan maintained that one effective method of mentoring young girls is by ‘returning home’ to be more accessible to them. She illustrated her point by referencing the example of Mrs Okonjo-Iweala.
Nigerian roots
Meghan told the audience it was ‘humbling’ to discover through a genealogy test that she is partly Nigerian.
Mo Abudu, the chief executive of EbonyLife media group, who anchored the event, requested the audience to suggest Nigerian names for Meaghan to adopt.
The names suggested were ‘Ifeoma’, a name from Nigeria’s Igbo tribe meaning ‘a treasured thing,’ and ‘Omowale’ from the Yoruba tribe, meaning ‘the child has come home.’
Associated Press, in its Sunday report, quoted Meghan as saying: “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.”
Tour activities
The Duchess arrived in Lagos on Sunday with her husband, adorned in an Aso Oke wrapper gifted to her by Abike Dabiri Erewa, Chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, at a reception hosted by the Chief of Defence Staff.
The couple attended the Dream Big Basketball clinic hosted by the Giant of Africa Foundation at Ilupeju Grammar School in Lagos.
At the event, they expressed delight in participating in programmes empowering young people in Africa.
Upon their arrival in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, they visited Lightway Academy to inaugurate a mental health event for the students.
Invited by Mr Musa, Harry and Meghan toured Nigeria, and on Friday afternoon, they visited the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
There, they interacted with wounded soldiers and their families, aiming to uplift their morale and well-being.
The following day (Saturday), they participated in a training session for Nigeria: Unconquered Organisation and attended a reception hosted by the Chief of Defence Staff to honour military families.
Earlier on Saturday, Meghan observed as Harry and his Invictus Games team faced defeat against the Nigerian military’s team in a sitting volleyball match.
The Nigerian team comprised soldiers recuperating from injuries sustained in the nation’s ongoing struggle against Islamic extremists and other armed groups in the conflict-ridden northern regions.
After the match, which took place at the Nigerian Armed Forces’ Mess in Abuja, Harry and Meghan were surrounded by players, their families, and a gathering of women.
The women presented Meghan with a traditional Nigerian fabric as a gift.
Informative trip
The couple met with Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Lagos House in Marina on Sunday afternoon.
Welcoming the couple, Mr Sanwo-Olu described their visit to Nigeria as captivating and enlightening.
The governor also extended an invitation to the couple, saying they are always welcome to return whenever desired.
“We’re honoured to have received them at the State House here in Marina. We’re excited about all of the ideas and the things that they are planning to do, especially with the office of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Musa, and his lovely wife, who is also here”.
He praised them for their remarkable efforts in facilitating conversations about mental health and illness among military personnel.
“The conversation about mental health issues is something we all experience. The denial and stigmatisation are some of the topics we’ve discussed, and, more importantly, the infectious enthusiasm Prince Harry is known for.
READ ALSO: Prince Harry, Meghan to visit Nigeria
“At what point can we host it in Nigeria? So that the true Nigerian competitiveness can also be reflected in that game. On behalf of all of us in Lagos, we are excited and happy that we found time to be with them,” the governor said.
Mr Sanwo-Olu expressed his optimism that through the tour, the couple has gained a firsthand experience of Nigeria’s essence and character.
The couple’s three-day visit to Nigeria ends on Sunday.
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