Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on Friday attended an inaugural mental health summit at a school, Lightway Academy run by a local non-profit linked to their foundation in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.
This is their first trip to Africa’s most populous nation on invitation from the chief of defence staff.
At the inaugural event, the royal couple were received with wild cheers and serenades as they spoke about mental health, which is a deep-rooted stigma in Nigeria.
“Too many people don’t want to talk about it ’cause it’s invisible. It’s something in our mind that we can’t see. It’s not like a broken leg, it’s not like a broken wrist.
“Every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health. So therefore, you have to look after yourself to be able to look after other people.
“There is no shame to acknowledge it.” Harry said.
According to Meghan, suffering in silence should not be an option, urging students to be vocal about it.
“Just make sure that you are taking care of yourselves and that begins with your mental health by really talking about whatever’s coming up for you,” she said.
