UK appoints new high commissioner to Nigeria

The United Kingdom government has appointed Mr Peter Vowles as the new British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

A statement issued on Tuesday confirmed the appointment and noted that Vowles will officially assume his duties in Abuja in September 2026.

He succeeds Dr Richard Montgomery CMG, who has held the top diplomatic position in Nigeria since 2023 and will remain in office until the new envoy assumes duty in Abuja.

According to the statement, Mr Vowles brings decades of diplomatic and international development experience to the position.

He most recently served as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to Zimbabwe between 2023 and 2026 and was ambassador to Myanmar from 2021 to 2022.

He has also held several senior leadership roles within the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and its predecessor, the Department for International Development (DFID), including serving as transformation director and director for Asia, the Caribbean and overseas territories.

The statement noted that Mr Vowles has extensive experience working across Africa and Asia.

Earlier in his career, he held development and diplomatic assignments in Bangladesh, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.

He began his professional career in Zimbabwe, where he worked in the education and development sectors.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr Vowles expressed his commitment to strengthening relations between both countries.

“I am honoured to be appointed as British High Commissioner to Nigeria. Nigeria is a country of immense importance to the United Kingdom, and I look forward to working closely with Nigerian partners to strengthen our relationship across trade, development and security,” he said.