The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, has opened up on how she felt after discovering through a genealogy test that she was partly Nigerian.
She explained that it was humbling to discover that she was of Nigerian roots.
According to the Associated Press, Meghan made the confession while speaking at a programme in Abuja organized by women in leadership and co-hosted by Nigerian economist and Head of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
It was gathered that, the Duchess of Sussex has been in the country since Friday along with Prince Harry to promote mental health for wounded soldiers and young girls in the country.
Meghan announced on her podcast in October 2022 that she discovered through a DNA-based test that she was “43% Nigerian.”
Addressing the women at the Abuja event, she re-echoed her Nigerian roots, calling the African giant “my country”, saying, “It’s been eye-opening to be able to know more about my heritage.”
“Never in a million years would I understand it as much as I do now. And what has been echoed so much in the past day is, ‘Oh, we are not so surprised when we found out you are Nigerian.
“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful,” Meghan told the audience.
Meghan was at the event to join female industry leaders such as Okonjo-Iweala in discussing the importance of mentorship for young women and the career challenges women face in a country like Nigeria, where it is not common for women to be in top leadership and political positions.
When the anchor asked her how she felt about becoming the first woman and first African to lead the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala said it was long overdue.
“When I will feel right is when we stop saying, ‘the first woman to do this… to do that’. I have mixed feelings about being the first woman because I think women should have been there already,” she said.