US Appoints Brandon Hudspeth as New Consul General in Lagos

The United States Mission in Nigeria has appointed Brandon Hudspeth as the new US Consul General in Lagos, where he will serve as the senior US government representative across 17 states in southern Nigeria.

Hudspeth takes over from Rick Swart, who retired from the US Foreign Service in July. His appointment marks a return to Lagos, where he previously served as Political-Economic Section Chief at the US Consulate General between 2020 and 2022.

The US Consulate General Lagos announced the appointment in a statement issued by its Press Office on Friday.

A career member of the US Senior Foreign Service, Hudspeth brings nearly two decades of diplomatic experience from assignments across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Washington, DC.

Welcoming his return to Nigeria, Hudspeth said he was honoured to resume his diplomatic duties in Lagos and highlighted the long-standing 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 said.

Hudspeth said he looked forward to reconnecting with people he had worked with during his previous posting while establishing new partnerships across the region.

He identified stronger trade and investment ties, innovation, technology and the creative industries as key areas of focus during his three-year tenure.

According to him, his goal will be to work with Nigerians to strengthen bilateral relations and create more opportunities for economic cooperation and shared prosperity between the two countries.

Before returning to Lagos, Hudspeth served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia.

His diplomatic career has also included a posting as Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the US Embassy in the Philippines, where he oversaw US civilian assistance programmes focused on law enforcement, the rule of law, counter-narcotics efforts and maritime security cooperation.

He previously 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 worked at the State Department’s Operations Centre and on the Secretariat Staff supporting the Secretary of State. He also served as a Desk Officer in the Department’s Bureau of African Affairs.

Hudspeth is a native of Texas and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics.

He also 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 as a Distinguished Graduate.

His return to Lagos comes at a time when Nigeria and the United States continue to engage on issues spanning trade, investment, security, technology and development.

With his previous experience in Nigeria and a broad diplomatic background, Hudspeth is expected to play a key role in strengthening US-Nigeria relations across southern Nigeria during his tenure as Consul General.