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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Richard Hugh Montgomery has been appointed as the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria.
The United Kingdom (UK) Government announced Montgomery’s appointment in a statement on Tuesday.
The High Commissioner is the UK Government’s representative in a commonwealth nation.
They are responsible for the direction and work of the consulate, including political relations, trade and investment, press and cultural relations as well as visa and consular services
Montgomery succeeds Catriona Laing who has been been the UK Government’s representative in Nigeria since 2018.
According to the statement, Laing will be transferred to another diplomatic service appointment.
Montgomery served as Counsellor in charge of development and Head of Office, Department for International Development (DFID), Abuja, from 2009 to 2013.
He holds a Ph.D in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge, alongside other research-related qualifications from GKW Consult Mannheim and Manchester University.
The diplomat was, most recently, UK’s executive director for the World Bank Group in Washington.
He has also held executive development roles in Zambia, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Montgomery will resume at his new role in April 2023.