The newly appointed British High Commissioner to Nigeria is Richard Hugh Montgomery, the British government revealed his nomination in a statement on Tuesday. Montgomery is slated to begin his new post in April 2023.

Catriona Laing, who has served as the UK’s envoy in Nigeria since 2018, will be replaced by Montgomery.

Laing will be moved to another diplomatic service position, the document said.

The high commissioner represents the UK government in a Commonwealth country.

They are in charge of overseeing all aspects of the consulate’s operations, including political relations, trade and investment, press and public relations, consular and visa services, and commerce and investment.

From 2009 to 2013, Montgomery worked as the Department for International Development’s Head of Office and Development Counselor in Abuja.

He has research-related degrees from Manchester University and GKW Consult Mannheim in addition to his Doctorate in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge.

Most recently, the diplomat served as the United Kingdom’s Executive Director for the World Bank Group in Washington.

He has held executive development positions in Pakistan, Zambia, Bangladesh, and India.