Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, on Saturday, joined female industry leaders such as the Head of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, to discuss 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.
Speaking at leadership event organized by women, Meghan said one way to mentor young girls is by “returning home” to be closer to them, citing the case of Okonjo-Iweala as an example.
“You need to come back home, you need to, at least, be a familiar face for the next generation to say, ‘Oh she looks like me and I can be that’,” she added.
Meghan who was visiting the country for the first time with Prince Harry said, it’s been “humbling” to find out through a genealogy test that she is partly Nigerian.
“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”, she said.
Recall that 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% Nigerian.
According to AP News, 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.’
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