UK gets new Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos

Mr Jonny Baxter has been named the new Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) for the United Kingdom in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ndidiamaka Eze, the senior press and public affairs officer at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), released a statement on Tuesday stating that Baxter

succeeds Ben Llewellyn-Jones, whose three-year term as Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos just ended.

The statement claims that Jonny has extensive diplomatic expertise gained from postings around the world. His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Sudan from January 2021 to July 2023 and Deputy Director, Finance and Performance Department at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office – FCDO (then DFID) from 2018 to 2020 preceded his appointment as the British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Lagos.

Baxter is said to have worked for the DFID in a number of high-ranking capacities. At the DFID Headquarters in London, she has held several positions, including that of head of the Human Development Department (2017–2018), Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State (2014–2016), and head of the Higher Education Taskforce Secretariat (2013–2014).

According to the statement, prior to these positions, Jonny served in Sudan, Iraq, Guyana, and Tanzania.

As he arrived, Baxter 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, the private sector, and 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.”