Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will soon travel to Nigeria to take part in talks about the Invictus Games and it seems their trip will be jam-packed with fun activities
It looks like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be getting the royal treatment when they travel to Nigeria later this month.
The couple will be visiting the African country shortly after Harry’s return trip to the UK, during which he will give a reading at a special service for the Invictus Games. The trip to Nigeria is also in honour of the sporting event, with the Sussexes set to take part in talks about the games.
It’s believed Harry and Meghan will be travelling with a team of people from the Archewell company and will likely stay at a posh hotel. Here, we’ve taken a look inside the Nigeria visit.
£650-a-night hotel
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State visitors to Nigeria tend to stay at the presidential headquarters, Aso Villa in Abuja. As Meghan and Harry’s trip isn’t an official state visit, however, it’s likely they will be offered alternative accommodation.
Ben Shemang, a former director of news at Voice of Nigeria, suggested the Sussexes will either be put up in another official building, or a five-star hotel like the Transcorp Hilton Abuja.
The luxurious hotel features a spa and swimming pool, as well as tennis courts and an on-site casino. The Royal Suite at Transcorp Hilton Abuja costs £390 a night for bed-and-breakfast, while the Executive Presidential Suite is £650.
While Meghan and Harry are likely to be paying for their own travel, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Ministry of Information and National Orientation has said accommodation for the couple will likely be provided by Nigeria as a courtesy.
Ceremonial tug of war
It’s believed Meghan and Harry will visit Camp Wu Bassey, an Army barracks in Abuja, during their trip. Here, they will be treated to a banquet with military officials.
Terver Dominic, a resident of Abuja, suggested Harry and Meghan will be treated to a military cultural event known as WASA, or West African Social Activities, to entertain them. This involves a ceremonial tug of war which symbolises strength and team work.
Terver told The Daily Mail there is plenty of “festive atmosphere and competitive spirit” at WASA. He also believed Harry and Meghan could be invited to take part.
‘Royal’ entourage
Meghan and Harry have a large team who will no doubt be accompanying them to Nigeria. Miranda Barbot, a PR expert who previously worked with Barack Obama, has recently been promoted by Meghan and Harry to vice-president of programmes and media operations at Archewell.
It’s believed she will be helping to plan the couple’s tour of Nigeria and will likely accompany them on the trip. She previously travelled to Dusseldorf with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the Invictus Games.
Netflix cameras are also likely to be in attendance, with Harry and Meghan creating two brand new programmes for the streaming giant as part of their exclusive five-year deal.
‘Warrior princess’ treatment
Meghan has previously revealed she is “43 per cent Nigerian”. During an interview with Nigerian-American actor Ziwe on her podcast Archetypes, Meghan said she discovered her ancestry after having her genealogy done “a couple of years ago”.
At the time, she said she didn’t know which tribe her ancestors were from but planned to “dig deeper into all of this”. Ziwe said the news was “huge for our community”.
After Meghan revealed her Nigerian heritage, she and Harry spent time with Team Nigeria at the 2023 Invictus Games. The team gave her a special nickname to commemorate their bond.
Meghan was given the Nigerian name Amira Ngozi Lolo, which holds a special royal meaning. “Amira” means warrior princess from a legend, while “Ngozi” means blessed and “Lolo” means royal wife.
Meeting with servicemen
The Duke of Sussex founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to help support wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans. During his and Meghan’s Nigeria trip, it’s believed they will take part in talks on the games and meet with servicemen and their families.
Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 and became the first African country to join the Invictus movement. Team Nigeria then made their Invictus Games debut in Dusseldorf.
Security detail
Former royal protection officer Dai Davies has said it seems hypocritical for Meghan and Harry to insist on visiting Nigeria after Harry has raised issues with the risk of coming to the UK. “It’s strange that he personifies the risk factors here and is willing to go to one of the world’s most dangerous countries,” he told The Express.
His comments come as Meghan and Harry have faced criticism for their security in Nigeria. The Sussexes will reportedly receive security funded by the government of Nigeria after being invited by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa.
The security will mimic the royal set-up, meaning the Sussexes will travel with a team of close-protection officers. The security will come at a hefty price, despite Nigeria dealing with mass poverty, with an estimated 87million people living below the poverty line.
Fashion designers
Ben Shemang believes the couple could visit Abuja’s Arts and Crafts Village and meet with the Actors Guild of Nigeria. As well as this, he told the Daily Mail Harry and Meghan may also meet with Nigerian fashion designers, something which would appeal to Meghan.
According to the Nigerian Bulletin, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit sports facilities and meet with athletes. There will also be sporting activities which are “aimed at promoting mental health awareness, physical rehabilitation and the importance of sports in the recovery of service members”.
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