- Written by Simi Jolaoso, Abuja & Natasha Preski
- bbc news
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's second day in Nigeria began with a game of sitting volleyball.
In Abuja, the couple spent time with the Nigerian Unconquered, which complies with the country's Invictus Games team.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are scheduled to speak at a reception hosted by the Chief of Defense Staff of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Duchess will then co-host a Women's Leadership event with World Trade Organization Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
After arriving at Armed Forces Officer Metz and being given a green and white Nigerian scarf, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan watched a sitting volleyball match, after which Prince Harry was also invited to join the team.
The duke took part in several rounds of a match between 'Team Harry' and 'Team CDS' (a reference to the military's Chief of Defense Staff, who are behind the couple's visit to Nigeria).
The Duke then joined in the team's roar before speaking to the players' families and friends.
Last year, Nigeria became the first African country to participate in the Invictus Games, a sports competition for injured soldiers and veterans co-founded by Prince Harry in 2014.
On the first day of the mini-tour on Friday, Harry spoke of the joy the Nigerian team brought to the match in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Nigeria Unconquered, the charity that is organizing Nigeria's national team for next year's Invictus Games in Canada, is helping sick and injured military personnel “find a new purpose” through sport. There is.
On Saturday, Meghan was presented with a bouquet of roses by the six-year-old royal daughter of Nigeria's Unconquered founder Bobby Ojie. The Duchess was moved by the gesture and asked to leave a rose for her royal family.
After the sit-down volleyball match, the Duke and Duchess attended a reception that included performances by drummers and traditional dancers, as well as greetings from various officials.
Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, expressed his joy at Meghan's Nigerian heritage, saying she is too beautiful to be non-Nigerian.
She gifted Meghan Markle and Prince Harry costumes made from Aso Oke, a hand-woven cloth from southwestern Nigeria.
In his speech, Prince Harry told the story of his visit to a military rehabilitation center in Kaduna on Friday, where he met 50 injured military personnel hospitalized.
“Two of the 50 were a little different,” he said. “They were smiling. One of them was doing push-ups. I was intrigued.”
He added, “They knew their lives weren't defined by their past injuries. That's what Invictus is about, and that's what the new center is about.”
The audience was shown a video of a 3D rendering of the “state-of-the-art” Invictus Center that authorities hope to soon build in Abuja.
Before arriving in Nigeria, Prince Harry visited London as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Invictus Games and attended a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral.
Meanwhile, the king, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, met members of the public at a garden party at Buckingham Palace, about two miles away.
A spokesperson for the duke confirmed he would not be able to see his father while in the UK due to the king's “full plans”, but said he “hopes to see him soon”.
Prince Harry last visited the UK in February, shortly after the monarch was diagnosed with cancer.