Richard Hugh Montgomery has been appointed as the new British high commissioner to Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News reports that Montgomery succeeds Catriona Laing who has been the UK’s representative in Nigeria since 2018.
The United Kingdom government, while announcing this in a statement, said Laing will be transferred to another diplomatic service appointment.
The high commissioner is the UK government’s representative in a commonwealth nation.
They are responsible for the direction and work of the consulate, including political relations, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.
Montgomery served as the counsellor (development) and head of the office, Department for International Development (DFID), Abuja, from 2009-2013.
The diplomat holds a Ph.D in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge, alongside other research-related qualifications from GKW Consult Mannheim and Manchester University.
He was, most recently, the UK Executive Director for the World Bank Group in Washington.
Montgomery who has also held Executive Development roles in Zambia, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, is expected to begin his new role in April 2023.
