Substantive US Consul General Rick Swart replaces JoEllen Gorg who worked in a acting capacity
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A substantive United States Consul General, Rick Swart, has assumed duty in Lagos, taking over from JoEllen Gorg who did the job from early this year in an acting capacity.
Swart, who arrived in Lagos on July 16, is the senior Washington representative to the Nigerian people throughout the 17 states in Southern Nigeria.
He is responsible for leading and overseeing US government activities that deepen trade and investment ties, expand people-to-people connections, and advance the full range of priorities in the US-Nigeria bilateral relationship across the region.
“I am honored 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, according to a release by the US Mission.
He took over from Gorg who led the Consulate General in an interim capacity over the last seven months. The immediate past Consul General, Will Stevens, completed his tour of duty in November 2024.
“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,” Swart added.
“I look forward to working closely with Ambassador Mills and the team at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, to further advance the shared objectives between Nigeria and the United States.”
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 US Embassy in Chad.
His diplomatic assignments include:
- Chargé d’Affaires in the Republics of Chad, Congo, and Burundi.
- Deputy Consul General in Baghdad, Iraq.
- Humanitarian Assistance Officer for Africa at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
- Overseas tours in London, Manila, and Dubai.
- 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.
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