Meet Florence Eshalomi, Nigerian born UK trade envoy to Nigeria

Florence Eshalomi, a Nigerian-British politician, has been appointed as the United Kingdom’s (UK) trade envoy to Nigeria.

Eshalomi announced her appointment on X on Tuesday, making her the second Nigerian to hold the position, following Helen Grant.

“It is an honour to have been appointed as the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria,” she wrote.

“I’m looking forward to building on my close ties with Nigeria to promote a strong and flourishing economic relationship between our two great nations.

“I am looking forward to building on the UK’s relationship with Nigeria, to help explore shared growth and opportunities for both countries.”

Who is Florence Eshalomi

Florence Eshalomi is a British Labour and Co-operative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green since December 2019. Born on September 18, 1980, in Birmingham, she was raised in Britain, London, by Nigerian parents . She is the eldest of three daughters in a single-parent family.

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Eshalomi attended local schools in Lambeth and completed her A-Levels at St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College in Clapham South. She became the first member of her family to attend university, earning a BA (Hons) in Political & International Studies with Law from Middlesex University. During her studies, she participated in the Erasmus Student Exchange program, spending a semester at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

Before entering Parliament, Eshalomi held various roles, including working as a policy officer in local government, serving as a regional organizer for the Labour Party during the 2005 general election, and acting as the Public Affairs Manager for the Runnymede Trust, a leading race equality think tank. She also represented Britain Hill as a councillor on Lambeth London Borough Council from 2006 to 2018 and was a Member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021.

In Parliament, Eshalomi has held several positions, including serving as an Opposition Whip and as the Shadow Minister for Democracy. As of September 2024, she chairs the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.

Eshalomi is married to Matthew, and they have two children.