Brandon Hudspeth Assumes Office as New US Consul General in Lagos
The United States has appointed Brandon Hudspeth as its new Consul General in Lagos, succeeding Rick Swart, who retired from the US Foreign Service in July.
Hudspeth’s arrival was announced on Friday by the Press Office of the Public Diplomacy Section of the US Consulate General in Lagos.
He will serve a three-year term as the senior US government representative in the 17 states of southern Nigeria.
A career diplomat and member of the US Senior Foreign Service, Hudspeth is returning to Lagos for a second posting.
He previously served as Chief of the Political-Economic Section at the consulate 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 was looking forward to renewing old relationships and establishing new ones, while working with Nigerians to deepen trade and investment ties between both countries.
He also highlighted his interest in promoting innovation, expanding cooperation in technology and the creative industries, and creating opportunities capable of advancing shared prosperity.
Hudspeth brings about two decades of diplomatic experience from assignments across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Washington.
Before his Lagos posting, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia.
His previous diplomatic roles include Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the US Embassy in the Philippines, where he oversaw civilian assistance programmes covering law enforcement, rule of law, counter-narcotics initiatives and maritime security cooperation.
He had also served as Political-Economic Section Chief in Bamako, Mali; Nonimmigrant Visa Chief in Havana, Cuba; and Political-Military Officer in Kabul, Afghanistan.
In Washington, he worked at the State Department’s Operations Center and Secretariat Staff, where he supported the Secretary of State, and 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 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics.
He later 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.
