NIGERIA: New US Consul General Rick Swart Arrives In Lagos

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced the arrival of Rick Swart as the new Consul General in Lagos.

Swart arrived in Lagos on Wednesday and will represent the U.S. government across 17 states in southern Nigeria.

His appointment was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by the Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.

Swart is expected to lead efforts aimed at strengthening U.S.-Nigeria relations, deepening trade ties, and advancing mutual priorities across the region.

“I am honoured to serve in Nigeria. I am excited about the opportunity to travel across the region, meet the people, experience the culture, while advancing the shared goals of making our two countries safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” Swart said.

He succeeds JoEllen Gorg, who had served in an interim capacity since November 2024, following the departure of former Consul General Will Stevens.

Swart commended Gorg’s leadership, saying, “I thank JoEllen for her remarkable leadership and for the outstanding work she has done to promote our close partnership with the Nigerian people in the region.”

He also expressed readiness to work closely with Ambassador David Greene Mills and the team at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja to strengthen bilateral ties.

Swart is a career diplomat who previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Chad.

His foreign service career has included postings in Congo, Burundi, Iraq, Geneva, London, Manila, and Dubai.

Before joining the U.S. State Department in 2002, Swart served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali.