The U.S. Mission announced Rick Swart as the new Consul General for Lagos.
Swart is the senior U.S. Government representative to Nigerians in her 17 southern states. 
A statement by the mission said Swart will lead and oversee U.S. government activities, deepen trade and investment ties, expand people-to-people connections, and advance the U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relationship across the region.
“I am honored to serve in Nigeria,” Consul General Swart said. 
“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,” he added.
Swart takes over from JoEllen Gorg who led the Consulate General in an interim capacity over the last seven months after the immediate past Consul General, Will Stevens, completed his tour of duty in November 2024.
Consul General Rick Swart, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, has held diverse diplomatic roles across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, most recently as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Chad. 
His diplomatic assignments include serving as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., in the Republics of Chad, Congo, and Burundi; Deputy Consul General in Baghdad, Iraq; and Humanitarian Assistance Officer for Africa at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.  Other assignments include overseas tours in London, Manila, and Dubai; as well as domestic postings in Washington, D.C., serving as the focal point for several cross-cutting sub-Saharan Africa issues.
Before joining the State Department in 2002, he worked in the private sector on architectural and design projects in Asia and Africa. 
He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali.