Richard Hugh Montgomery Named British High Commissioner to Nigeria

Richard Hugh Montgomery has been named as the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Richard Hugh Montgomery’s appointment was made public by the UK government in a statement released on Tuesday.

The former UK’s Executive Director of the World Bank in Washington is slated to resume his diplomatic duties in Nigeria from April 2023.

This means that Richard Hugh Montgomery will replace Catriona Laing who has been the UK’s envoy in Nigeria since 2018.

According to the statement from the UK government, Laing will be transferred to another diplomatic service position.

Note that in a Commonwealth nation (a country formerly colonized by the British), the high commissioner represents the British government.

The commissioner is in charge of managing all facets of the consulate’s business operations, including political relations, trade and investment, press and public relations, consular and visa services, and trade and investment.

Who is Richard Montgomery?

Richard Hugh Montgomery has served as the Head of Office and Development Counselor for the Department for International Development in Abuja from 2009 until 2013.

He also holds degrees in research-related fields from Manchester University and GKW Consult Mannheim in addition to his doctorate in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge.

The diplomat most recently served as the Executive Director of the United Kingdom for the World Bank Group in Washington.

In addition, he has worked in executive development positions in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Zambia.