UK appoints Jonny Baxter as new Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Nigeria

Mr Jonny Baxter has been appointed as the UK's Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ndidiamaka Eze, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer, Communications Lead, Prosperity and Economic Development, said in a statement on Tuesday that Ben Llewellyn-Jones, who recently completed three years as the Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, will be replaced by Baxter.

Jonny is a seasoned diplomat with expertise working across the globe, the statement claims. He worked as His Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan from January 2021 to July 2023 and as the Deputy Director, Finance and Performance Department at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office - FCDO (then DFID) from 2018 to 2020 before accepting the position of British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Lagos.

According to reports, Baxter served in a number of high roles in the Department of International Development (DFID). At the DFID Headquarters in London, these included leading the Human Development Department from 2017 to 2018, serving as the Secretary of State's principal private secretary from 2014 to 2016, and overseeing the Higher Education Taskforce Secretariat from 2013 to 2014.

According to the statement, Jonny had positions in Sudan, Iraq, Guyana, and Tanzania before taking on these responsibilities.

Baxter, to mark his arrival, said: “I am excited about this new role and I look forward to working with the people of this great country, including those in government, in the private sector and in civil society, to do all I can to help build a more prosperous Nigeria and strengthen the already impressive partnerships between the people and institutions of both our countries.”

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