The British High Commission in Nigeria has disclosed why it did not acknowledge the presence of the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle, during their visit in the country.
Upon their arrival in Nigeria, Harry and Meghan were greeted with various activities, including a military salutation.
The duo were received by military authorities in Abuja, the nation’s capital and subsequently visited the Defence Headquarters in Abuja as part of their tour.
They also travelled to Kaduna State, where they met with Governor Uba Sani, who presented the prince with traditional attire.
Surprisingly, the British High Commission didn’t comment on the Prince’s activities in Nigeria, deviating from their usual practice of welcoming prominent UK dignitaries.
A check on the X handle of the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, shows his last post to be on May 6.
He was silent on Prince Harry and Meghan’s visit on social media, while the UK in Nigeria X handle didn’t also acknowledge their presence.
However, Montgomery was said to have clarified in a private chat with journalists that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the country as private citizens, hence, the commission has no obligation to acknowledge their presence.
“It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defence Headquarters.
“But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their programme. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit,” Montgomery noted.
During his time in Kaduna, Harry recognized the significance of sports in the process of rehabilitating injured soldiers in Nigeria.
The prince emphasized that his visit aimed at connecting with the brave men and women who had served in the Nigerian armed forces and were currently undergoing treatment for their injuries.
“The focus of this trip is the wounded and sick men and women who served in the Nigerian forces to keep the people safe, and having founded the Invictus game over 10 years ago, Nigeria was the first African nation to join in Germany with 10 fantastic human beings.
“When you talk about lifting the spirits, that is what we are here to do, and we will build on that morale and ensure that anyone hooked on the line of fire, despite being injured, is not alone, and sport can be a useful way for rehabilitation,” he had said.
