Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing a wave of criticism as they prepare for their upcoming visit to Nigeria later this month. The couple's trip, their first to the West African nation together, has been met with concerns over the country's widespread poverty and the source of funding for their security detail. Additionally, the visit comes amidst a growing scandal involving African Parks, a conservation charity of which Prince Harry is a director.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to Nigeria by the nation's highest-ranking military official, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Gwabin Musa. Due to this invitation, the couple is expected to receive the level of security they had sought in the UK before Harry lost his appeal to retain automatic police protection.
However, reports indicate that the Nigerian government will be footing the bill for the Sussexes' security, a move that has drawn sharp criticism given the country's dire economic situation, with an estimated 87 million people living below the poverty line.
During their visit, Harry and Meghan are scheduled to participate in talks about the Invictus Games, engage in cultural activities, and meet with service members and their families. While the Invictus Games, a Paralympics-style venture for wounded servicemen and women founded by Prince Harry, is widely recognized for its positive impact, some question whether the couple's time in Africa could be better spent addressing the growing scandal surrounding African Parks.
The conservation charity, which manages reserves in 12 African countries, has been hit with allegations of human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings and violent beatings. Prince Harry, who served as the charity's president for six years before joining its governing board of directors in 2023, has been effusive in his praise of the organization's work. However, recent reports by The Mail on Sunday have uncovered claims of brutality by rangers jointly managed by the charity in the Republic of the Congo and Zambia's Bangweulu Wetlands.
Fiore Longo, campaign director of Survival International, which fights for the rights of indigenous people, stated, "This is another case of abuse and violence supposedly in the name of conservation."
The group had previously written to Prince Harry about "appalling human rights abuses" in Congo's Odzala-Kokoua National Park, prompting the Duke's spokesman to state that he had "immediately escalated" the allegations to the charity's chairman and chief executive.
African Parks has disputed the findings of a recent book by author and journalist Olivier van Beenman, which detailed shocking allegations based on a three-year investigation into the organization. The charity, which receives funding from British aid, U.S. billionaires, and celebrities, called the publication "deeply flawed" and highlighted its long-standing agreements with 12 sovereign governments and numerous traditional authorities, as well as the vetting processes and audits required by its global institutional funders.
As the Sussexes prepare for their Nigerian visit, critics argue that the couple appears to be presenting themselves as an alternative royal family, undertaking a regal visit that could have been an opportunity to showcase their potential for working with the Commonwealth had they remained within the royal fold. Some, like Richard Eden of the Daily Mail, suggest that Prince Harry's time in Africa would be better spent addressing the serious allegations surrounding African Parks and visiting the affected areas, such as the Bangweulu Wetlands in Zambia, to see the situation for himself.
