UK appoints Mark Smithson to head UK-Nigeria trade department

The United Kingdom (UK) has appointed Mark Smithson as the country director for the UK’s department for business and trade (DBT) in Nigeria.

According to a statement on Thursday from the UK foreign, commonwealth and development office, Smithson takes over from Chim Chalemera who recently concluded a 3-year posting in that role.

“Mark is an experienced civil servant having undertaken a wide variety of roles both in the UK and overseas,” the office said.

“In this new role, he will lead on the UK-Nigeria’s trade and investment relations to deliver an increased high value inward investment and greater exports into the UK and Nigeria as well as support market access and trade policy priorities.”

Smithson expressed joy in taking up the new role, adding that Nigeria is a country of huge importance to the UK and the world.

“Our historical, cultural, people to people and business ties are deep and ever growing,” he said.

“I am delighted to take up this new role as the DBT’s country director and I look forward to forging partnerships with the Nigerian government, the private sector and the UK supply chain and to seize the opportunities this great country and our unique partnership offer to deliver a more prosperous future to both our countries.”

Prior to his arrival to Nigeria, Smithson was based in London from 2021-2024 where he led the DBT’s capital investment agenda.

Initially, he covered European and United States (US) corporates and from September 2022, served as the UK government’s global account manager for large institutional investors from Southeast Asia with a focus on Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Between 2007 and 2013, Smithson led the consular section at the British consulate general in Barcelona, Spain.

During his time in Spain, he handled many high-profile consular cases and sporting events.

In 2013, Smithson transferred to the US to head consular services for Florida, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico from the British consulate general in Miami.

There, he oversaw an extensive outreach programme with US government agencies and handled several crisis, including deployments as a rapid deployment team leader.

In 2017, Smithson transferred to Atlanta, US, to lead the UK’s tech and creative trade and investment agenda in the southeast region.

A year later, he transferred to Bangkok, Thailand, where he served until 2021, leading the team to drive forward an increase in exports and investment and lay the ground for the UK-Thailand joint economic and trade committee (JETCO).

Smithson is married to Patima, who is Thai, and they have a 3-year-old toddler.