Prince Harry's visit to Nigeria, accompanied by his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, focused on promoting the Invictus Games and supporting initiatives for wounded soldiers. The trip included a memorable game of sitting volleyball with Nigerian army veterans, highlighting the power of sports in rehabilitation.
The Duke of Sussex was invited to visit by Nigeria's military command.
Prince Harry joins a game of sit-down volleyball. Image source: BBC/Kyla Herrmannsen
A Game of Sitting Volleyball
Day two of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Nigeria visit began with a game of sitting volleyball. In Abuja, the couple spent time with Nigeria Unconquered, which compiles for the country's Invictus Games team. After arriving at the Armed Forces' Officers Mess and being given scarves in the green and white colors of Nigeria, Harry and Meghan watched a game of sitting volleyball, before Harry was invited to play with the team.
The Duke participated in a few rounds of the game, which were played by 'Team Harry' and 'Team CDS' - referring to the military's chief of defence staff who is behind the couple's visit to Nigeria.
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Prince Harry takes part in an exhibition sitting volleyball match at Nigeria Unconquered, a local charity organization that supports wounded, injured, or sick service members.
At an officer's mess complex in Abuja, Harry's team dressed in yellow played off in an exhibition against a team led by Nigeria's chief of defence staff, the country's top commander.
With chants of "Team Harry, Team Harry" when they scored, the prince's team took an early lead with players seated on foam mats, some missing legs. Despite a crowd that chanted “Team Harry,” the Duke of Sussex lost the match. They lost the match 25-21 to the commander's squad Team CDS.
On the Duke's team was former Nigerian soldier Peacemaker Azuegbulam, who lost his leg in combat in the northeast, and became the first African to win gold at the Invictus Games in Germany last year.
"It's an honour for Nigeria and for Africa to have Prince Harry over," he told AFP before the match.
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The Duke of Sussex then participated in the match as Meghan continued to watch on.
The Duke then joined in the team's war cry before speaking with families and friends of the athletes.
Harry and Meghan were given scarves in Nigerian colours before watching a game of sit-down volleyball. Image source: BBC/Kyla Herrmannsen
A girl, 9, who spoke to Meghan at the event said: "She [Meghan] said Prince Harry loves to play volleyball and that he’s very good at it." And she asked me if I play volleyball in my school. And I said yes."
The Invictus Games and Nigeria Unconquered
Last year, Nigeria became the first African country to take part in the Invictus Games, a sporting competition for wounded military personnel and veterans, co-founded by Prince Harry in 2014. On the first day of the mini-tour on Friday, Harry spoke about the joy the Nigeria team brought to the games in Düsseldorf, Germany.
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The charity Nigeria Unconquered, which will put together Nigeria's team for next year's Invictus Games in Canada, helps wounded, sick and injured service personnel to "find new purpose" through sport.
On Saturday, Meghan was presented with a bouquet of roses by six-year-old Royalty Ojeh, daughter of the founder of Nigeria Unconquered, Bobby Ojeh. Touched by the gesture, the duchess offered Royalty one of the roses to keep.
Royalty Ojeh, six, presented the Duchess of Sussex with flowers. Image source: BBC/Simi Jolaoso
Harry, a former army captain who served as a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, founded Invictus in 2014. Since then the games have grown, promoting rehabilitation through sports.
Prince Harry Plays Volleyball With Army Veterans In Nigeria
“The visit is to consolidate Nigeria’s stronghold at the game and the possibility of hosting the event in later years,” Nigeria’s acting director of defense information, Tukur Gusau, said via statement.
According to the BBC, on Saturday the couple visited Nigeria Unconquered, an Abuja-based charity for sick and wounded service members that partners with the Invictus Foundation to provide specialized sports rehab facilities and adaptive sports programs. Harry and Meghan took in a number of those programs, including a seated volleyball match at an outdoor court.
Prince Harry takes part in an exhibition sitting volleyball match at Nigeria Unconquered. Image source: KOLA SULAIMON/Getty Images
Other Engagements in Nigeria
Harry and Meghan are to speak at a reception hosted by the Nigerian military's chief of defence staff. The duchess will later co-host a Women in Leadership event with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organization.
On a three-day visit to Nigeria to promote his Invictus Games, Prince Harry on Saturday played a seated volleyball match with army veterans, most wounded in battle against the country's insurgency. The Duke of Sussex arrived with his wife Meghan on Friday in the capital Abuja where they visited a school for an event on mental health in a trip that also saw the prince meet wounded Nigerian soldiers in the northwest.
Royal Family News
Before arriving in Nigeria, Prince Harry visited London as part of celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, and attended a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral. Meanwhile, the King, whose cancer treatment is ongoing, met members of the public at a Buckingham Palace garden party a little over two miles away.
A spokesperson for the duke confirmed he would not see his father during his time in the UK due to the King's "full programme" but that he "hopes to see him soon".
Prince Harry played volleyball in Nigeria after overshadowing Prince William's trip to Cornwall this week. It comes just two days after Prince William was pictured playing volleyball during a visit to Fistrall Beach in Newquay on Thursday.
William's trip to the Isles of Scilly on Friday was overshadowed by the first day of Meghan and Harry's tour of Nigeria. The Prince of Wales's engagement received considerably less coverage than the Sussexes' activities in the Commonwealth nation.
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