The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visit Nigeria
The Prince of Wales and his wife The Duchess of Cornwall visited Nigeria on the third and final leg of a West Africa tour.
Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and his wife The Duchess of Cornwall visited Nigeria on the third and final leg of a West Africa tour, between 6 and 8 November. Their visit strengthens the close ties between the UK and Nigeria, celebrating historic and Commonwealth links. Their Royal Highnesses saw some of the many modern public and private collaborations between the two countries and admired Nigeria’s thriving arts and culture scene.
Their first engagement was to meet with His Excellency President Buhari, where Their Royal Highnesses extended their warmest wishes to the people of Nigeria. The Prince of Wales also met several senior traditional leaders from across the country. He was interested to hear about their respective regions and to discuss how traditional leaders continue to play a central role in addressing some of Nigeria’s challenges, from resolving conflicts and tackling extremism, to improving social development through education and women’s rights.
The Duchess of Cornwall separately visited the Salamander Café in Abuja, where she spoke with children at an essay writing workshop organised by the Abuja Literary Society. The event celebrated the importance of education as well as the vibrancy of the contemporary literary scene, as she also saw an exhibition of works by successful Nigerian authors and British authors inspired by Nigeria.
A reception on 6 November saw Their Royal Highnesses meet notable figures from across Nigerian society, including former Heads of State, Government and National Assembly representatives, and people from Commonwealth, humanitarian, and community organisations.
The Prince of Wales then spent 7 November in Lagos, seeing more close links between the UK and Nigeria. There, the Prince visited the Nigerian Navy’s N.N.S. Ekulu berthed at the Lagos Naval Dockyard. On board, he was shown the close cooperation between the UK and Nigerian naval forces as he watched a maritime security exercise. The British military are currently providing maritime security training for the Nigerian Navy and their Special Boat Service to help them counter the insurgency in North East Nigeria and improve security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Prince then attended a British Council festival in a showcase of entrepreneurial individuals, including many women, who are innovating modern arts and culture in Nigeria. The festival demonstrated the breadth and vibrancy of the creative arts scene.
Wednesday evening’s reception brought together many notable Nigerian and British figures. The Prince admired a sculpture of the Prince’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, created by Ben Enwonwu, and met some of the city’s leading fashion designers. Former Super Eagles captain and British Premier League footballer Joseph Yobo presented a Nigeria World Cup 2018 football shirt to the Prince of Wales ahead of his 70th birthday.
Back in Abuja on 8 November, the Prince of Wales also visited the Abuja Memorial in the National Military Cemetery. There he laid a wreath, on behalf of the British people with Minister of Defence Muhammad Mansur Dan-Ali.
The Prince of Wales then learnt about work to support rural livelihoods in the North of Nigeria. He met with women supported by PropCom Mai-karfi to increase their income through poultry and Pye Ryat, who are using modern technology to produce Acha. He was interested to learn from these groups about the work they are doing to build climate resilient livelihoods and boost income for women.