Prince Harry has given his first interview in Nigeria, following an awkward UK snub. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, have been seen in Nigeria for the first time, with Harry delivering a heartfelt speech on mental health.

Harry told the audience: “In some places around the world, more than you would believe, there is a stigma against mental health. Too many people don’t want to talk about it because it’s invisible, it’s in your mind and we can’t see it.

“But guess what, every single person in this room, the youngest, the oldest, every single person has mental health. So therefore, you have to look after yourself in order to be able to help other people, other people have to look after themselves in order to be able to look after you. That’s the way it works.”

Harry added: “There is no shame to be able to acknowledge that today is a bad day. Okay? If you woke up this morning feeling sad, if you left school feeling stressed, if you’ve lost a loved one in your family who you usually turn to or speak to, all of these things you may be led to believe are not for conversation. We are here today to tell you that that is not the case.

“Every single one of those things is completely normal. It is a human reaction, whether it’s grief, stress, whatever the feeling is, it comes from experiences you have had.” The couple touched down in Abuja on Friday morning after Harry’s brief solo trip to the UK. They reunited at Heathrow, with Meghan arriving on Thursday from Los Angeles. She was spotted waiting for Harry in the airport’s VIP Windsor Suite.

Upon their arrival in Abuja, Nigerian officials greeted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The same security team that accompanied Harry to the UK was also present. The first photos of the couple have emerged since, reports the Mirror. Meghan and Harry arrived in Nigeria earlier in the day and they went straight to visit children at the Lights Academy in Abuja. The trip marks their first time in the country and comes after Meghan learned she had Nigerian ancestry.

On their 72-hour whistle-stop tour, the couple will be meeting with wounded soldiers and their families in a show of support to improve their morale and wellbeing. They will also attend volleyball and basketball matches and meet with NGOs in Lagos and Abuja. Meghan will co-host an event on women in leadership with Director General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.