UK appoints Richard Montgomery as new High Commissioner to Nigeria

Dr. Richard Montgomery CMG has been named the British government's high commissioner to Nigeria.

At the State House in Abuja on Thursday, Montgomery handed President Muhammadu Buhari his credentials.

He succeeds Ms. Catriona Laing CB, who just completed her tenure as High Commissioner in Abuja for four years.

Richard is a seasoned diplomat with experience working abroad, notably earlier in Nigeria.

Richard served as the UK Executive Director at the World Bank Group Board in Washington, DC, from 2018 to 2022 before being appointed the British High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Within the Department of International Development (DFID), he has held a number of senior positions. These positions included Country Director for Pakistan, Director for Asia, the Caribbean, and Overseas Territories Division, and Country Director in Nigeria from 2009 to 2013.

Richard held the positions of Deputy Director for Corporate Human Resources and Deputy Head in DFID's Top Management Group prior to taking on these operational roles. He had positions in the British High Commissions in India, Bangladesh, and Zambia earlier in his career.

Richard and Naheed are wed, and the two of them have two kids. He is looking forward to returning to Nigeria with his wife.

To mark his arrival Richard Montgomery said: “It’s great to be back in Nigeria and I‘m very excited about this new role. I look forward to working with people, in government, in the private sector, and in civil society, to advance the UK’s work in supporting a more prosperous Nigeria.”

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