During Prince Harry’s visit to Nigeria, Meghan Markle shared an empowering message with young students at the Lightway Academy in Abuja. The Duchess of Sussex, who discovered her Nigerian heritage in 2022, spoke to the students about self-worth and mental health during an inaugural mental health summit hosted by the GEANCO Foundation.
“Every single one of you has a story…And there’s no shame in any single one of your stories,” Meghan said in her speech. She echoed the sentiment of connection she’s expressed before, mentioning her daughter Lilibet: “Our daughter Lili… looked at me and saw her reflection in my eyes. She said, ‘Mama, I see me in you.’ I see myself in all of you as well.”
Meghan’s speech drew parallels to her 2019 visit to South Africa, where she proudly acknowledged her Black heritage. She has been a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment and mental well-being.
The Lightway Academy is a co-educational school in Nigeria’s capital that provides education from nursery through secondary levels. Meghan expressed her pride in visiting Nigeria for the first time, calling it “a complete honour.”
In a 2022 episode of her podcast, Archetypes, Meghan revealed that she is 43% Nigerian. Afam Onyema, CEO of GEANCO, reached out to Meghan after hearing about her heritage and invited her to learn more about their work in Nigeria.
Onyema noted Meghan’s keen interest in Nigeria and said of the visit, “I would imagine that she’s gonna get a true sense of her roots coming here and be able to really soak that up. We’re just honoured to be a part of that.”
