Meeting our new British High Commissioner to Nigeria
I recently had the absolute pleasure of meeting Peter Vowles, the newly appointed British High Commissioner to Nigeria. He was appointed by the FCDO on 15 June 2026 and will be taking over from Dr Richard Montgomery CMG in Abuja in September this year.
Peter brings an incredible depth of experience to this role. His career has taken him from leading the UK mission in Zimbabwe, to serving as Ambassador to Myanmar, to directing major FCDO transformation programmes and overseeing UK engagement across Asia, the Caribbean and the Overseas Territories. He’s also held senior development roles in Kenya and the DRC. That breadth of diplomatic and development expertise will be such an asset to both the UK and Nigeria — both countries are very close to my heart.
We chatted about his excitement at moving to Nigeria, getting to know its vibrant communities, and leading the outstanding UK team already working so hard on the ground. Peter told me he feels honoured to be stepping into this role and is looking forward to strengthening UK–Nigeria ties across trade, development and security.
I want to pay tribute to Richard Montgomery as he completes his tenure in the role. During my time as the UK Trade Envoy to Nigeria from 2020 to 2024, and as the PM’s Special Envoy for Girls’ Education, I had the privilege of working closely with Richard, and I saw first-hand the skill, integrity and deep commitment he brought to the role.
Richard’s leadership strengthened the UK–Nigeria partnership across diplomacy, trade, development and security. He approached every challenge with clarity and purpose, and his ability to build trust with Nigerian leaders, businesses and communities made a lasting impact. His support for our trade and investment work was invaluable, and I remain grateful for the wise counsel and steady collaboration he offered throughout my tenure. I wish him every success in the next chapter of his career.
