Meghan and Prince Harry beam as they talk to Nigerian charity workers in new Save the Children video from ‘royal’ trip as Prince William takes to social media to mark decade of African elephant conservation

Meghan and Prince Harry met Nigerian charity workers from Save the Children in new footage from their ‘royal’ trip.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were beaming as they were introduced to two youth ambassadors – Maryam, 23, and 19-year-old Purity – in the Nigerian capital of Abuja last week.

The charity workers told Harry and Meghan of work addressing issues such as child marriage, gender-based violence, access to education and healthcare and the plight of internally displaced children.

In a clip shared on the charity’s Instagram today, the Sussexes are seen shaking hands with Save the Children staff before they sit down for a chat with the two young ambassadors while on their semi-royal tour of Nigeria – which was confirmed not to be official UK Government business. 

The event had been one of the highlights of the couple’s officially private tour that they called ‘fantastic’ and said it will be the ‘first of many memorable trips’ – which included a moment where Meghan hailed Nigeria as ‘her country’ after a DNA test suggested she was part-Nigerian.

The new video was posted just hours after Prince William took to social media to mark a decade of African elephant conservation.

Prince Harry, Megan, Purity and Maryam pose for a photo on the couple’s ‘royal’ trip to Nigeria

Meghan was beaming as she met with the Save the Children charity workers in Abuja

The Sussexes shake hands with Save the Children staff in the video shared on Instagram

Prince Harry praised the charity for putting young voices to the forefront of their operation

Meghan sits down for a chat with 23-year-old Save the Children youth ambassador Maryam

Prince Harry listens as Save the Children Youth ambassador Purity speaks of the issues Nigeria is facing

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met Save the Children staff in the Nigeria’s capital Abuja last week

Harry and Meghan pictured with Youth Ambassadors Maryam, 23, and Purity, 19, during their visit to Abuja

In the video Maryam explains some of the issues her country is facing, saying: ‘I started my activism at the age of 14 – the same year that the Chibok girls were abducted. There are so many challenges that children and girls face here in Nigeria.

‘There’s child marriage. We have one of the highest numbers of out of school children. We have one of the highest numbers of children that are not immunised   

Prince Harry praised the charity for putting young people’s voice to the forefront.

He said: ‘This charity recognises the importance of having young people’s voices at the forefront – not just as advocates but also as decision makers.

‘That is absolutely crucial because you know better than anybody else what is going on and what the conversations are that are happening. 

‘But also it is your future,’ Prince Harry added. 

Purity added: ‘We won’t stop. Every one of us has a role to play – via advocacy, our voices, financial support, volunteering. We hope to see a positive change and better future for Nigeria.’  

The Save The Children post was captioned: ‘Thank you Prince Harry and Meghan for joining us in Nigeria to learn more about how we ensure children don’t just survive but thrive. 

‘The Duke and Duchess of Sussex met our Youth Ambassadors Maryam and Purity, who are tireless advocates for children’s rights and the beating heart of our work. 

‘Children in Nigeria face huge challenges: One in ten dies before they reach the age of five. 

‘Three in ten girls are married before the age of 18. Nigeria also has one of the highest rates of unimmunised children but young people are working hard alongside Save the Children to fight for a better future.

Prince William took to social media to congratulate the Elephant Protection Initiative on its 10-year anniversary

The couple’s final public engagement in Nigeria on their three-day tour saw them watch a polo match in Lagos between teams called Duke and Duchess

Harry and Meghan following a charity polo game at the Ikoyi Polo Club in Lagos on May 12

‘We’ve also partnered with GSK to develop new immunisation programmes, as well as a fund to support local organisations and innovators, and child-led advocacy.’

The video was posted just hours after Prince William also took to social media to discuss African affairs, as he congratulated the Elephant Protection Initiative on 10 years of conserving African elephants.

He said: ‘I am delighted to congratulate the Elephant Protection Initiative on the fantastic progress that it has made in its first decade, making a significant contribution to conservation efforts across Africa. 

‘When the EPI was launched in 2014, it was inspiring to see five African leaders come together in response to the challenge of ivory poaching. They decided that enough was enough and that the protection of their elephants was a challenge that they would tackle together.

’10 years on, the EPI’s membership has grown from those initial five countries to 24. And in that time, many of the EPI’s original objectives have been achieved.

‘The international trade on ivory remains under a moratorium with many African countries closing their domestic ivory markets alongside Canada, China, the EU, the UK, Singapore and New Zealand. 

‘African countries have taken significant measures to security and management of ivory and some cases destroyed their stockpiles.

‘While there are no grounds for complacency, poaching continues in some areas and the demand for ivory still exists but there is no doubt that we are in a better place than a decade ago.’ 

Last week, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, confirmed Harry and Meghan were not representing the UK Government on their Nigeria trip.

He said: ‘It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defence Headquarters.

‘But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their programme. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit.’  

The couple, who left Abuja on Monday following a three-day visit, were pictured being whisked away by a car at Los Angeles International Airport’s ‘Private Suites’ facility. 

The Duke and Duchess have called the semi-royal tour ‘fantastic’ and said it will be the ‘first of many memorable trips’ – which included a moment where Meghan hailed Nigeria as ‘her country’ after a DNA test suggested she was part-Nigerian. 

Meghan hopped into a waiting SUV wearing a brown coat, matching pumps and white trousers while Harry wore understated dark trousers and a dark jacket paired with a green shirt.

The couple were seen crossing the runway to get into a car to take them to the Los Angeles International Airport terminal earlier this week

Meghan and Prince Harry – pictured – were returning from a three-day ‘quasi-royal’ visit to Nigeria 

Meghan Markle pictured on her phone as she walks through Los Angeles International Airport after the trip 

There have been eight press releases on Sussex.com about the couple’s visit to Nigeria, which took them to Abuja and Lagos and ran last week from Friday until Sunday. None mentioned the issues with the Archewell foundation. 

In a press release about their trip coming to end, the Sussexes referred to the reception they received in Lagos and their attendance at a polo match. 

The statement said: ‘Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex concluded their unforgettable trip to Nigeria with a cultural reception in Lagos and a polo match fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.

‘The couple was greeted with a beautiful pre-game parade – a vibrant display of young enthusiasts in polo gear, proudly waving the green and white flags of Nigeria – followed by a procession of older children on horseback, setting the tone for a day filled with sport and spirit.

‘The friendly rivalry between the teams, aptly named Duke vs Duchess, added a layer of excitement to the event, with the Duchess’s team claiming victory with a score of 5-3. The day was capped off with the couple presenting medals, a gesture of appreciation for the players’ prolific talent and dedication.

‘The Duke and Duchess would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all the event organisers, military officials and the whole Nigerian community for their tremendous hospitality and the first of many memorable trips.’