UK appoints new deputy high commissioner in Abuja

Mrs Gill Lever OBE – Officer of the Order of the British Empire – has been appointed as the British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Abuja, Nigeria.

She takes over from Ms Gill Atkinson who recently concluded four years as Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja.

According to a statement from Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, a spokesperson of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Abuja, Lever is an experienced career diplomat who has worked in different parts of the world including Romania, India and Japan.

“Before becoming the British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) in Abuja, she served as the UK Deputy Head of Mission to Juba, South Sudan from 2022 – 2023.

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Before then, she served as the Head of Overseas Health and Welfare at the FCDO in London.

In the UK, she has worked in a diverse range of roles including as Head of the Peacekeeping Team in the UN Department, Deputy Head of Southeast Asia Department and as a Human Resources Business Partner.

Gill was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 for services to the Health and Welfare and British Nationals while working on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

She has also worked in the voluntary sector, establishing child drowning prevention programmes, and raising funds for women’s and children’s projects in Vietnam.

To mark her arrival, Lever said: “I am delighted to be back in Nigeria. I was posted to Abuja 10 years ago with my husband and son and have such fond memories.

“I always knew I’d be back! I am excited about my new role as Deputy High Commissioner. I look forward to working with the talented High Commission team in Abuja, with colleagues in Lagos and in our other smaller posts across our Nigeria network, to deepen the special relationship between our two proud countries.”