•Peter Vowles
The United Kingdom Government has announced the appointment of Peter Vowles as the next British High Commissioner to Nigeria.
Vowles succeeds Dr Richard Montgomery.
He is expected to take up the post in September 2026.
Vowles, a seasoned diplomat with extensive experience across Africa and Asia, is currently serving as the British High Commissioner to Zimbabwe, a role he has held since 2023.
A statement from Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer for the FCDO, said, “Mr Vowles brings extensive diplomatic and development experience to the role, having served as His Majesty’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe from 2023 to 2026 and previously as Ambassador to Myanmar from 2021 to 2022.
“He has held senior leadership positions across the FCDO and its predecessor department, DFID, including as Transformation Director and Director for Asia, Caribbean and Overseas Territories.
“Earlier in his career, Mr Vowles worked in international development across South Asia, Central Africa and East Africa, including postings in Bangladesh, India, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
“He began his career in Zimbabwe, where he worked in education and development.”
In a reaction on X (formerly Twitter), @PeteVowles said: “Absolutely delighted to be appointed British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of 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.”
