United Kingdom has appointed Alastair Long as its new His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Africa, with a mandate to deepen trade and investment ties with the continent and expand commercial opportunities for British and African businesses.

Long, who previously served as Deputy Trade Commissioner and later as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa between 2019 and 2022, has returned to the continent at a time when African countries, including Nigeria, are seeking to attract more investment, expand exports, and improve access to international markets.

The UK Department for Business and Trade said his priorities would include expanding commercial partnerships, supporting businesses, attracting investment and contributing to the development of sustainable and resilient economies across Africa.

Long said his return to Africa would allow him to build on his previous experience on the continent, describing it as the “future” and highlighting what he called its energy and ambition.

He added that the UK would seek to work with African countries in line with their priorities while bringing British expertise and capabilities to areas of mutual economic interest.

His appointment is particularly significant for economies such as Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy and one of the UK’s major commercial partners on the continent, where efforts to attract foreign capital and expand non-oil exports remain central to economic diversification.

The new commissioner will oversee the UK’s trade and investment activities across Africa, including efforts to improve market access for British companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, and to develop trade policy and strengthen the overall UK-Africa commercial relationship.

Long takes over from John Humphrey, who served as UK Trade Commissioner for Africa from June 2022.