The United States Consulate General in Lagos has announced the arrival of Brandon Hudspeth as its new Consul General, beginning a three-year tenure as the senior U.S. government representative in southern Nigeria.

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Press Office of the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.

Hudspeth succeeds Rick Swart, who retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in July.

A career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, Hudspeth is returning to Lagos for his second diplomatic assignment in the city, having previously served as Political-Economic Section Chief at the consulate from 2020 to 2022.

“I am honoured to return to Lagos as the U.S. Consul General,” Hudspeth said.

He said he looked forward to reconnecting with old friends, building new partnerships and working with Nigerians to strengthen bilateral relations.

According to him, his priorities will include expanding trade and investment, promoting innovation, deepening collaboration in the technology and creative sectors, and creating new opportunities for shared prosperity.

Hudspeth brings nearly two decades of diplomatic experience spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America and Washington, D.C.

Before his Lagos appointment, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia.

His previous assignments include Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, where he oversaw U.S. civilian assistance programmes supporting law enforcement, the 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, Hudspeth served at 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 earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics.

He holds a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University, where he graduated with distinction.