British royal couple, Prince Harry and Megan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrived Nigeria last Friday aboard Air Peace, to promote the Invictus Games and mental health among military personnel and Nigerians as a whole. The couple visited at the invitation of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Chris Musa.

Harry, a combatant military officer, founded the Invictus Games in 2014 to promote sports and a sense of belonging among retired and serving military personnel who suffered disabling injuries in combat.

While in Nigeria, the couple visited the Lightway Academy, Abuja to meet with girls affected by conflicts in Nigeria. They also visited Kaduna and Lagos where they were received by Governors Uba Sani and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, respectively.

The couple’s visit was reminiscent of the historic tours of the nation by the prince’s grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, Nigeria’s sovereign during British colonialism. She visited Nigeria in 1956 and again in 2003 to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM.

The couple not only graced events, Harry also joined the physically-challenged soldiers in exhibition games, in true reflection of the populist activities of his late mother, Princess Diana, fondly known as the “Queen of Hearts”.

Having lost most of their executive authority, members of the British monarchy fortify the continued relevance of their royal estate by courting the fondness of the ordinary people at home and abroad. Prince Harry’s Archewell Foundation, which goes by the motto: “Show up, Do Good”, aims to “impact communities and change the world”.

Harry and Meghan’s visit to Nigeria carried a lot of symbolisms which must not be lost on us. Nigeria is a place that has very little consideration for the weak and vulnerable members of society. Very little critical acts of governance to develop the society takes place because everyone’s attention is on corrupt accumulation of money. In this rat race, those who need the help that only government can offer are abandoned.

These include retired and serving members of the police, security and armed forces killed or disabled in active service. Harry and Meghan would be horrified to learn that some surviving members of the armed forces who fought to keep Nigeria together between 1967 and 1970, are still complaining of non-payment of their entitlements at ripe old age.

They will also be shocked that in Nigeria, most mentally-ill people are abandoned to die on the streets rather than being catered for. Society stigmatises mental illness, and government has no interest or willpower to intervene.

Beyond the official engagements and flowery speeches, Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation and its affiliated activist groups should document neglect of disabled servicemen and women and speak truth to power wherever they go.

Otherwise, the purpose and nobility of their mission are lost.