LAGOS — The United States Mission in Nigeria has welcomed career diplomat Brandon Hudspeth as the new Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.
Hudspeth begins a three-year assignment as the senior U.S. government representative covering 17 states in southern Nigeria. He takes over from Rick Swart, who retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in July 2026.
The new Consul General is returning to Nigeria for a second posting. He previously worked at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos as Political-Economic Section Chief between 2020 and 2022.
Expressing his appreciation for the new assignment, Hudspeth said he was pleased to return to Lagos and looked forward to contributing to the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and the United States.
He said his experience in Nigeria had given him first-hand knowledge of the strength of the bilateral relationship and the creativity and entrepreneurial drive of people in both countries.
Hudspeth said he intends to build on existing relationships while developing new partnerships with Nigerian stakeholders. Among his priorities are increasing trade and investment, promoting innovation and expanding cooperation in the technology and creative sectors.
He also expressed interest in supporting initiatives that could generate new opportunities and contribute to shared economic prosperity between the two countries.
Extensive Diplomatic Experience
Hudspeth brings roughly two decades of diplomatic experience, with assignments spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America and Washington, D.C.
Before his latest posting, 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 Manila, Philippines, where he was involved in programmes covering law enforcement, rule of law, counter-narcotics and maritime security cooperation.
His other diplomatic assignments included Political-Economic Section Chief in Bamako, Mali; Nonimmigrant Visa Chief in Havana, Cuba; and Political-Military Officer in Kabul, Afghanistan. He also held positions at the U.S. Department of State in Washington.
A Texas native, Hudspeth is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College, where he studied Political Science and Economics. He also holds 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.
His arrival comes at a significant period for U.S.-Nigeria relations, particularly as the U.S. diplomatic mission continues to adjust its consular operations in Nigeria. Routine U.S. visa services were transferred from Abuja to Lagos from August 1, 2026.
With Lagos serving as a major commercial and diplomatic centre, Hudspeth’s new assignment is expected to place strong emphasis on strengthening economic relations, technological cooperation and people-to-people ties between Nigeria and the United States.
