Prince Harry‘s Invictus Games is celebrating a new way to help its athletes.
As the Duke of Sussex, 40, prepares to head to Vancouver, British Columbia, for the next Invictus Games, one of the newer nations to join the Paralympic-style contest for wounded, injured and sick veterans and armed services members has taken the next step forward.
Ground has been broken at Nigeria’s new rehabilitation building for wounded service members, called the Armed Forces Invictus Centre. Kick-off for the construction of the venue in Abuja began in January 2025.
The center will be a global first for the Invictus Games Foundation and signifies Nigeria’s enthusiastic adoption of the games as well as what it can do for physically and mentally injured servicemen and women.
The outgoing CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, Dominic Reid, tells PEOPLE of his pride in the center and the West African country’s adoption of the ethos of Invictus and how adaptive sports can help rehab.
“The most important part of [Nigeria’s] involvement is that sports rehabilitation is now a thing in Nigeria,” he says.
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Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Invictus Games Foundation chief executive Dominic Reid at the Games in Dusseldorf, Germany in Sept. 2023
Reid says that “is absolutely astonishing” as they had little knowledge “about how to rehabilitate people when we first engaged with them.”
“It speaks very loudly of the international impact that Invictus has, and I’m really proud of that,” he tells PEOPLE as the next Invictus Games is set to begin on Feb. 8.
Prince Harry was shown plans for the center when he was in Nigeria alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, in May 2024. He told those attending a reception in Abuja that service personnel were not being “defined by their injuries.”
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Prince Harry with Meghan Markle and, left, David Wiseman, International Development director at the Invictus Games Foundation in Nigeria, May 2024
“And that is what the new center you’re building is all about,” he added. “Seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps.”
The architect of the new center Kobina Banning explained to PEOPLE in May 2024, “This space will be a healing place for veterans.”
Banning traveled to some of the events with Harry and Meghan during their visit to the country. “Nigeria has the largest army in Africa, and with everything that is happening, this will give more hope for those who are serving as they know that if something was to happen there is this facility to fall back on,” he told PEOPLE. “It will help them heal but also is telling them they are not being left alone.”
As work started on the new development on Jan. 31, Prince Harry said in a statement, “The ground-breaking of the Armed Forces Invictus Centre in Nigeria represents a pivotal shift for our global Invictus community, expanding its reach to the great continent of Africa.”
“When my wife and I visited Nigeria last May, we witnessed first-hand the strength, hope and healing that sport ignites in individuals, as well as its restorative impact on families. I am especially proud to see Nigeria leading the way in Africa with this purpose-built recovery center.”
Related: Prince Harry Appears in New Video as the Invictus Games Prepare to Head to Canada
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany in Sept. 2023
His friend and colleague David Wiseman, Director for International Development, Invictus Games Foundation, added in a statement, “We are delighted to see Nigeria bring their vision for a new recovery center to life. Nigeria continues to be a fantastically engaged member of our community, engaging both with the Invictus Games and our programs Beyond the Games, thanks to the support of Monster Energy Cares. Nigeria’s growing commitment to sport for recovery for their wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans continues to be an inspiration.”
“We look forward to witnessing the impact of this fantastic development on the Nigerian, and broader African, community,” he continued.
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend the Invictus Games One Year To Go Event on February 14, 2024 in Whistler, Canada
Nigeria is gearing up for its second appearance at the Invictus Games in Canada following the team’s initial involvement in Dusseldorf, Germany in Sept. 2023.
For Reid, the Vancouver-Whistler games from Feb. 8 to Feb. 16 will be his last as CEO. Over the last 10 years, he says, the organization has “made a significant impact in the way in which disability is perceived. We have changed notions around service – it’s a really powerful thing that’s been done.”
“We talk about changing lives and saving lives, and piece of research we did in Dusseldorf, 10% of a group of people interviewed they were not confident they would be here if it wasn’t for what they had got from Invictus,” he adds. “That piece of research demonstrates that we have had an impact. That is very sobering.”
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