Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Share Update from Their Archewell Foundation on First Day in Nigeria

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are sharing an update about their Archewell foundation as they kick off their inaugural visit to Nigeria.

On Friday, May 10, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped out for their first international tour since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020 with a visit to the Lightway Academy with The GEANCO Foundation in Abuja.

After spending time with the nonprofit that administers the David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls, Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, are now announcing the expansion of the partnership between GEANCO and the Archewell Foundation.

Archewell’s existing initiative dedicated to serving girls and young women in Nigeria with menstrual health products and educational services will now include mental health resources and training for young men and women.

The announcement coincides with an inaugural Mental Health Summit organized over two days for nearly 200 students in the Nigerian capital of Abuja. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex opened the summit by speaking to the young people gathered there.

“Mental health is a very important issue, and it’s not talked about enough in Nigeria. So, when people who are real experts in that regard come here and talk about it—sometimes messages coming from strangers sink in better with children than those they hear about every day,” Joyce Agbese, director of Lightway Academy

It was also announced that GEANCO plans to hold summits throughout Nigeria in the future, “providing teenage girls and boys with the information, skills, and coping mechanisms necessary to flourish mentally” a statement said.

The nonprofit is dedicated to providing medical care, educational services and emotional support to young female survivors of terrorism and gender inequality in Nigeria, and the enhanced partnership with Prince Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation bolsters their work together.

During a roundtable discussion with some of the students from the scholarship program, the couple heard inspiring stories.

After asking how many of them have suffered, most raised their hands. “And you want to change the world because of that,” Meghan said.

Meghan urged them to “keep it inside and take that pain and experience and twist it and turn it and make it into something so strong and beautiful.“

“I’m not going to let that happen to anyone else. What you have inside is so powerful. We’re here because each of you matter. You’re so loved and supported and thank you for allowing us to sit with you,” she said.

In September 2023, Archewell announced the donation of school supplies and menstrual products to young women in Nigeria in partnership with GEANCO. The support from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s charitable nonprofit also made possible menstrual health education for 2,500 girls throughout where GEANCO serves, supporting the well-being of young women in school.

The David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship for Girls is named in honor of the British-Nigerian actor, who connected with the Duchess of Sussex in the fall. In November 2023, Meghan moderated a conversation with Oyelowo and Misan Harriman following a special screening of the Academy Award-nominated Netflix short film The After, which the Oyelowo starred in and Harriman directed, at a private residence in Montecito, California.

Harry and Meghan are in Nigeria at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff, the country’s highest-ranking military official. Prince Harry and Meghan’s stay will highlight the Invictus Games, which welcomed Nigeria as a new entrant at the latest iteration of the adaptive sports competition for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans in Germany in September 2023.

Nigerian Minister of Defense Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru attended last year’s Games in Germany, and expressed willingness to host the event should Nigeria be granted the opportunity in the future.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also meet with service members and participate in a variety of cultural activities while visiting Nigeria, which may be especially poignant for Meghan.