The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced the appointment of 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 official overseeing 17 states in southern Nigeria. He replaces Rick Swart, who retired from the U.S. Foreign Service in July.
A career diplomat and member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, Hudspeth is returning to Lagos for a second tour, having previously served as Political-Economic Section Chief at the consulate from 2020 to 2022.
“I am honored to return to Lagos as the U.S. Consul General,” said Hudspeth.
I know firsthand the strength of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership, and the extraordinary energy, ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that Nigerians and Americans share.
“I look forward to reconnecting with old friends, forging new partnerships and working with Nigerians to expand trade and investment, promote innovation and enhance cooperation in the technology and creative industries,” he said.
He said the efforts would create new opportunities and drive shared prosperity between Nigeria and the United States.
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Hudspeth has nearly two decades of diplomatic experience in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Washington.
Before his assignment in Lagos, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Windhoek, Namibia.
His previous assignments include Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, where he directed U.S. civilian assistance programs to support law enforcement, rule of law, counter-narcotics efforts, and maritime security cooperation.
He was also Political-Economic Section Chief in Bamako, Mali; Nonimmigrant Visa Chief in Havana, Cuba and Political-Military Officer in Kabul, Afghanistan.
In Washington, D.C., Hudspeth has served in the State Department’s Operations Center, on the Secretariat Staff supporting the Secretary of State, and as a Desk Officer in the Bureau of African Affairs.
Hudspeth is from Texas and holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Economics from Morehouse College. He also earned 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.
His new assignment, the U.S. Mission said, would serve to further strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United States.