The United States Consulate General in Lagos has announced the arrival of Brandon Hudspeth as its new Consul General, succeeding Rick Swart, who retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in July.
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, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, will serve a three-year tenure as the senior U.S. government representative across the 17 states in southern Nigeria.
His appointment marks a return to Lagos, where he previously served as Political-Economic Section Chief between 2020 and 2022.
“I am honoured to return to Lagos as the U.S. Consul General,” Hudspeth said.
“I know firsthand the strength of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership and the extraordinary energy, ingenuity, and entrepreneurial spirit that Nigerians and Americans share.”
The new Consul General said he looked forward to reconnecting with former contacts while developing new partnerships aimed at strengthening relations between Nigeria and the United States.
According to him, his priorities will include expanding trade and investment, promoting innovation, deepening cooperation in the technology and creative industries, and creating opportunities that contribute to shared prosperity between both countries.
Hudspeth brings about two decades of diplomatic experience covering assignments in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Washington, D.C.
Before his posting to Lagos, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia.
He previously served as Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, where he supervised U.S. civilian assistance programmes focused on law enforcement, the rule of law, counter-narcotics initiatives and maritime security cooperation.
His other overseas assignments included 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 Department of State’s Operations Center and on the Secretariat Staff supporting the Secretary of State.
He also served as a Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs.
A native of Texas, Hudspeth graduated from Morehouse College as a Phi Beta Kappa scholar, earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics.
He subsequently obtained 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 was a Distinguished Graduate.
