Harry and Meghan's Nigeria security costs paid by government while 87m people in poverty

Security for Meghan and Harry's Nigeria trip is reportedly set to be paid for by the country
Harry and Meghan's security costs for their upcoming trip to Nigeria will be covered by the Nigerian government despite 87m people in the country living in poverty -Credit:Getty Images


Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to visit Nigeria and have all their security costs covered by the Nigerian government, despite an estimated 87 million people in the country living in poverty.

This move has sparked controversy as the Sussexes' get ready to visit the country for the first time as a couple after being invited to the West African nation by its highest-ranking military official, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa.

Despite Prince Harry losing his appeal for UK security, it is reported that the couple will receive the level of protection they had expected back home, courtesy of the Nigerian government.

This decision has raised eyebrows as Nigeria grapples with widespread poverty, with a staggering 87 million citizens living below the poverty line, the Mirror reports.

During their visit, Harry and Meghan will engage in discussions about the Invictus Games and partake in cultural activities as well as meeting with service members and their families.

Their trip is scheduled just days after Harry's solo visit to the UK next week -Credit:AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell
Their trip is scheduled just days after Harry's solo visit to the UK next week -Credit:AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Their visit also comes after the 39-year-old prince faced pressure to review his role on the board of conservation charity, African Parks after a number of allegations directed towards the charity.

Harry was named as the president for six years before he was promoted to the governing board of directors last year.

Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

Part of his new role saw him take on shared responsibilities for overseeing the charity's policy and supervising its management of 22 national parks in partnerships with governments across African countries.

Current and former staff members at the charity shared their own experiences of what goes on behind the scenes at the conservation last month.

Some alleged that armed rangers utilise torture methods to extract information from poachers.

Prince Harry is on the African Parks governing board of directors -Credit:African Parks/Frank Weitzer / Kensington Palace via Getty Images
Prince Harry is on the African Parks governing board of directors -Credit:African Parks/Frank Weitzer / Kensington Palace via Getty Images

Author and journalist Olivier van Beemen interviewed a number of sources as part of his three-year investigation into the organisation - which receives funding from British aid, US billionaires and celebrities.

The journalist's findings revealed the extent of the shocking claims in the new book titled Entrepreneurs in the Wild.

However, African Parks, has vehemently challenged the allegations made in the book, labelling the publication as "deeply flawed".

The organization released a statement which said: "African Parks has been in operation for more than 20 years, with long-term agreements with 12 different sovereign governments and numerous traditional authorities.

"We have received funding from most of the global institutions ... all of which require detailed vetting processes, as well as intermittent grant audits."

Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.