At 10.00 this morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience H.E. Mr. Godwin George Umo, ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See, on the occasion of the presentation of his credential letters.

The following is a brief biography of the new ambassador:

H.E. Mr. Godwin George Umo
Ambassador of Nigeria to the Holy See

Mr. Godwin George Umo was born on 15 August 1956, and is married with children.

He attended the Nigerian Military School in Zaria from 1970 to 1974, beginning his training as an official cadet at the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) in Kaduna and graduating in 1977. As a young officer, he obtained a degree in electronics and telecommunications engineering from the Albafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife (1978-1981).

He has held the following positions, among others: Major of the 51st Division in Kaduna (1990-1991); acting Field Commander (1992-1993); Instructor as part of the staff of the FFAA College of Command in Jaji (1993-1995); Commander of the Regiment in Jos (1995-1996); Commander of the ECOMOG Communications Office in Liberia (1996-1998); Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Army School of Signals in Lagos (1999-2001); First Officer of the coordination staff of the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna (2002-2003); Director of training, with rank of Brigadier General, of the Nigerian Army in Abuja (2006-2007); Director of Combat Qualification Standards at the Abuja office (2007-2008); Director of Civil-Military Relations at the Defence Command, Abuja (2008) Commander of the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kontagor (2008-2009) Head of the Committee for an integrated system of communications security (2009); Director of Communications, Signalling Corps of the Nigerian Army, Apapa, Lagos (2009-2010); Director of the Armed Forces Simulation Centre, FFAA, in Jaji (2010-2011); secondment for government courses and management at the Institute of Management Systems in London (2011-2014); and détaché awaiting convocation for a program of strategies at the University of Ibadan (2015-2016). He is currently a hotelier and presides over the United Pentecostal Church of Nigeria.

He speaks English.