Prince Harry admitted he had “goosebumps” as he celebrated a huge personal milestone during his tour of Nigeria with Meghan.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex saw plans for a proposed Invictus Games centre in Abuja, Nigeria when they travelled to the African nation earlier this month.
It was a huge moment for Harry who helped create the Invictus Games Foundation in 2014, just months after returning from his deployment in Afghanistan following a trip to the Warrior Games in the US.
The Invictus Foundation aims to support wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both those who are serving and retired personnel.
The new Invictus Foundation in Nigeria will provide a “healing space” for veterans and soldiers in the West African country, reports GB News.
Harry appeared in awe of the proposals when he was shown computer-generated images of the planned facility at a reception hosted by Chief of Defense Staff General Christopher Musa during the couple’s tour.
Addressing the reception, Harry said there was a growing belief among veterans that they are not “defined by their injuries”.
He said: “And that is what the new centre you’re building is all about. Seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps.”
Harry praised the Nigerian team as a strong addition to the Invictus Games.
He paid tribute to the service personnel saying they “represented their service and this country, extraordinarily — won medals and came back with smiles on their faces.”
Kobina Banning, the architect of the new centre, said it will be a “healing place for veterans”.
Banning told PEOPLE: “Nigeria has the largest army in Africa, and with everything that is happening, this will give more hope for those who are serving as they know that if something was to happen there is this facility to fall back on.
“It will help them heal but also is telling them they are not being left alone.”
Banning says the “pioneering institution” was inspired by the “rich architectural architectural heritage of courtyard housing, the facility’s design embodies the timeless beauty and functionality of traditional hollow squares, fostering a sense of unity, community, and openness.”
He added: “Here…soldiers embark on a transformative journey of healing, hope, and renewal.”
Harry and Meghan’s tour of Nigeria saw the couple promoting the Invictus Games and the work the foundation does to support injured soldiers in the country.
It comes a year after Nigeria entered a team into the Invictus Games in Germany.
