Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tour Nigeria next month following an invitation by the country’s chief of defence staff, a military official has said.
“The visit is to consolidate Nigeria’s stronghold at the [Invictus] game and the possibility of hosting the event [in] later years,” defence spokesperson Tukur Gusau said in a statement on Sunday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a strong relationship with the West African country.
Last year, Nigeria debuted at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, winning gold and bronze medals and becoming the first African country to participate in the event.
The prince launched the Invictus Games, a sport event for military personnel wounded in action, in 2014.
When Nigeria participated in the event in Dusseldorf, Germany, last year, Nigeria’s defence minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar expressed interest in hosting the games, Brig Gen Gusau said.
The exact date for Harry and Meghan’s visit is yet to be announced, but they will engage in various activities during the trip, including meeting military members and experiencing local cultural activities.
News of the visit has excited many in Nigeria, where Meghan has ancestral roots.
In 2022, the Duchess of Sussex said that genealogy tests had revealed she is 43% Nigerian.
“Nigeria welcomes our daughter!” one Nigerian said on X, formerly Twitter.
Harry and wife are yet to comment on the invitation.