Abuja, Nigeria: Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, says it’s been humbling to find out through a genealogy test that she is partly Nigerian as she met with women in the West African nation.

On her second day in Nigeria, where she is visiting for the first time with Prince Harry to also promote mental health for wounded soldiers and young girls, Meghan acknowledged Nigeria as “my country”. She added: “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’,” she said at the event on women in leadership co-hosted by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian economist and head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful,” Meghan told the audience.

The Duchess of Sussex had announced on her podcast in October 2022 that she found out through the DNA-based test that she was 43 per cent Nigerian.

Her first reaction after finding out was to tell her mother, she said at the event in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “Being African American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage and background ... and it was exciting for both of us,” she said.

Mo Abudu, the anchor and chief executive of EbonyLife media group, then asked the audience to suggest a Nigerian name for Meghan.

“Ifeoma,” someone shouted from the excited crowd, a name from Nigeria’s Igbo tribe which means “a treasured thing”. “Omowale” another suggested, from the Yoruba tribe, which means “the child has come home”.