The United States Mission in Nigeria has welcomed Brandon Hudspeth back to Lagos as its new Consul General, marking his return to Nigeria after previously serving at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos between 2020 and 2022.

In a statement from the Consulate, Hudspeth begins a three-year tenure as the senior U.S. government representative across the 17 states of southern Nigeria, succeeding Rick Swart, who retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in July.

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Commenting on his return, Hudspeth said he was honoured to resume his diplomatic assignment in Lagos, noting the depth of the relationship between Nigeria and the United States.

“I am honoured to return to Lagos as the U.S. Consul General. I know firsthand the strength of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and the extraordinary energy, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial spirit that Nigerians and Americans share.”

He noted that he looks forward to reconnecting with old friends, building new partnerships, and working alongside Nigerians to expand trade and investment, drive innovation, strengthen collaboration in the technology and creative industries, and create new opportunities that advance shared prosperity for both countries.

Hudspeth brings two decades of diplomatic experience spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Washington. Most recently, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia. His earlier assignments include serving as Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, where he led U.S. civilian assistance programmes supporting law enforcement, rule of law, counter-narcotics efforts, and maritime security cooperation. He also served as Political-Economic Section Chief in Bamako, Mali; Nonimmigrant Visa Chief in Havana, Cuba; and Political-Military Officer in Kabul, Afghanistan. In Washington, D.C., he served in the Department of State’s Operations Centre, on the Secretariat Staff supporting the Secretary of State, and as a Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs.

A native of Texas, Hudspeth is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, where he received a Bachelor in Political Science and Economics. He earned a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School. He was also a Distinguished Graduate of the National Defense University, where he obtained a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy. (This Day)