Nigeria Welcomes Prince Harry & Meghan for Invictus Games

Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in Nigeria for Invictus Games

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, traveled to Nigeria on Friday in support of the Invictus Games, an initiative he started to help injured and sick veterans and service personnel recover—among them Nigerian soldiers engaged in a 14-year battle against Islamic militants.

As a gesture of solidarity to raise the soldiers' spirits and general well-being, Nigerian officials have stated that Harry and Meghan will be meeting with injured soldiers and their families.

According to Nigerian officials, Harry and Meghan's visit with injured soldiers and their families is an attempt to boost the soldiers' spirits and general well-being.

The director of sports at Nigeria's Defense Headquarters, Abidemi Marquis, told reporters on Thursday that “this engagement with Invictus is giving us the opportunity for the recovery of our soldiers.”

“Eighty percent of our soldiers that have been involved in this recovery program are getting better (and) their outlook to life is positive,” Marquis, the military's sports director, said.

“The recovery program has given them an opportunity to improve their personal self- esteem, to improve their mental health and emotional intelligence.”

Harry served as an Apache helicopter copilot and gunner in Afghanistan. In 2014, he established the Invictus Games to provide injured veterans and active military personnel with the opportunity to compete in Paralympic-style sporting activities. Nigeria took part in the previous year's games along with other countries.

They will meet with local non-governmental groups in Abuja and Lagos that they support during their visit, as well as go to basketball and volleyball games.

The World Trade Organization's Director General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will co-host an event on women in leadership with Meghan, according to their spokesperson Charlie Gipson.

The Nigerian military has promoted the Invictus Games as a potential aid in the recuperation of hundreds of its soldiers who have been engaged in combat with local Boko Haram Islamic extremists and their affiliates since the war was initiated in 2009.