Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, a Nigerian priest of the Catholic Diocese of Abia, Abia State, and an Apostolic Nuncio to the Antilles, as the Permanent Observer of the Holy See – the Vatican – to the United Nations Office and Specialised Institutions in Geneva.

The appointment was announced in a press statement by the Office of the Antilles Episcopal Conference Secretariat, Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago, where Archbishop Nwachukwu is currently serving as Apostolic Nuncio.

The Nigerian born priest was also appointed as permanent observer to the World Trade Organisation and the Representative of the Vatican to the International Migrations.

“Pope Francis, has appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Antilles, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, to the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations Office and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, as well as the Permanent Observer to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Representative of the Holy See to the International Migrations Organization (IOM).

“He was transferred from Nicaragua to the current Mission in Trinidad and Tobago on November 4, 2017, and assumed office on March 19, 2018.

“He is sincerely grateful for your support during this mission in this region and requests that you please accompany him with your prayers and friendship as he prepares to embrace the new responsibility.

“He will still remain in charge of the Mission in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean and Antilles, until he departs for the new mission at the United Nations at the beginning of March 2022,” the press statement reads.