Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend a basketball event in Lagos, Nigeria, May 12, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
LAGOS (Reuters) - Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were on Sunday treated to street-style dances in Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos, where they unveiled a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and non-profit Giants of Africa, which uses sport to empower young people.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Africa's most populous nation for the first time after being invited by Nigeria's chief of defence staff.
At Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, the couple watched basketball practice and Harry stepped on the court for some ball-bouncing drills and to shoot a hoop.
"What you guys are doing here at Giants of Africa is truly amazing," he said. "The power of sport can change lives. It brings people together and creates community and there are no barriers, which is the most important thing."
Archewell Foundation and Giants of Africa will construct a basketball court in the capital Abuja.
Former Toronto Raptors star Masai Ujiri, president of Giants of Africa, wished Meghan a happy Mother's Day and said his organisation was uniting communities and uplifting young people through sport, especially basketball.
Dressed in a Caroline Herrera button-down shirt and a Nigerian skirt gifted to her, Meghan said she had first heard of Giants of Africa while in Toronto, where she lived for seven years while making the hit TV legal drama Suits.
"Talk about full circle again – never did I think we would be able to be here all those years later supporting the expansion of this incredible organization," she said.
Harry and Meghan were set to round off their Lagos tripby attending a reception for a local charity. The couple live in the United States with their two children after Harry gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.
(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe and Seun Sanni; Editing by David Holmes)
