The United Kingdom Government has appointed career diplomat Vicky Seymour as its new Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, succeeding Gill Lever OBE, whose tour of duty in Nigeria ended in June 2026.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Thursday, which said Seymour has formally assumed her new role and will work to deepen the strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.
According to the statement, she will support bilateral cooperation in key areas, including economic growth, security, migration, development, international collaboration and people-to-people exchanges.
Seymour joins the Abuja mission with more than 20 years of experience in diplomacy, international development and public administration.
Before her deployment to Nigeria, she served as Head of the East Africa Department at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), a position she occupied from 2023.
She also previously headed the FCDO's Trade Diplomacy Department and served as Development Director in Mozambique, where she led the UK's development engagement in the country.
Throughout her diplomatic career, Seymour has held senior assignments in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan, working on issues ranging from economic development and climate change to security and governance.
Before joining the UK Government, she worked in the non-profit sector, where her responsibilities focused largely on migration and related development issues.
Speaking on her appointment, Seymour said she was eager to begin her assignment in Nigeria and strengthen the existing relationship between both countries.
"I am delighted to be taking up the role of Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja. I look forward to getting to know this extraordinary country, meeting people from across Nigeria's diverse communities, and building on the strong partnership that already exists between our two countries," she said.
She added that she hoped to expand cooperation and create new opportunities for collaboration between the UK and Nigeria in the years ahead.
The appointment underscores the UK's continued commitment to strengthening diplomatic, economic and development ties with Nigeria, one of its key partners in Africa.
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