Meghan Markle Welcomed Into Nigerian Community During Emotional Reception: 'Our Daughter, Our Friend'

Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, also said she was “excited but not surprised” when Meghan revealed her Nigerian heritage in 2022

Meghan Markle received a warm welcome during the second day of her and Prince Harry’s trip to Nigeria.

On Saturday, May 11, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who were invited to visit the country by its highest-ranking military official, the Chief of Defense Staff — attended a reception for military families and the widow association at the Defense Headquarters Officers Mess in Abuja.

During one of several speeches at the event, Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairman of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, welcomed Meghan, 42, to Nigeria and acknowledged her ties to the country, which she revealed in 2022 after discovering she is 43% Nigerian from a genealogy test.

Related: All the Best Photos from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Nigeria Trip!

“Princess Meghan is a Nigerian!" said Erewa, drawing a round of applause from the crowd — plus a smile and applause from Meghan herself.

The chairman went on to say that she was “excited but not surprised” when Meghan revealed her Nigerian heritage on her podcast in 2022, “because she is beautiful, intelligent, diligent and hardworking and she stands firm in the midst of challenges.”

“Prince Harry, you married the best — our daughter, our friend, Princess Meghan,” she said. “I hope you come back again, again and again.”

And she didn’t leave Harry, 39, hanging, adding, “Princess Meghan, you married the best man."

After handing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex gifts — his and hers traditional Aso-Oke outfits — Erewa also chatted with PEOPLE about the visit.

“They are an amazing couple,” she said. “They’re humble, down-to-earth, and they look so good together. The love is there; you feel it.”

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The day before the Abuja reception, Meghan and Harry attended another event in the Nigerian capital: an inaugural mental health summit put on by the GEANCO Foundation at the Lightway Academy. During the school visit, the Duchess of Sussex gave a speech to students.

“You know, every single one of you has a story. We all have our story. And there's no shame in any single one of your stories,” she said. “Even on the hardest days or darkest days, everything is a pillar of your strength by each of you being there. Your teachers see that in you. And we see that in you.”

Meghan went on to mention her and Harry's daughter Princess Lilibet, saying, “Interestingly, so does our daughter, Lili; she's much tinier than you guys, about to turn three.”

Related: Meghan Markle Has Sweet 'Auntie' Moment with Young Fan on Day Two in Nigeria

“A few weeks ago, she looked at me and saw her reflection in my eyes. She said, 'Mama, I see me in you.' Now, she was talking literally, but I held onto those words in a different way,” the Duchess of Sussex continued. “I thought, ‘Yes, I do see me in you, and you see me in you.’ But as I look around this room, I see myself in all of you as well.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex — who also share a son, Prince Archie — also had kind words for Nigeria in written form, as they each penned messages in a visitor’s book at the Defence Headquarters in the heart of Abuja.

In his message, the prince said, “Thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful country, together we will heal our troops.”

Referring to the links the couple has forged with the country through the Invictus Games and the rehabilitation through sport for the injured and wounded, Meghan wrote, “With gratitude for the support of the Invictus community.”

“And for welcoming me home,” she added.

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