Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu was born on 10 May 1960 in Ntigha, in the Diocese of Umuahia, Nigeria.
His training process:
- 1972-1977: Entered the Immaculate Conception Seminary of Ahiaeke Umuahia
- 1977-1984: He attended the seminary of Bigard in Ikot Ekpene, where he obtained the Baccalaureate in Theology summa cum laude
- 1986: He Studied at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule, Sankt Georgen, in Frankfurt, Germany
- 1994: Doctorate in Theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University. He also studied diplomacy for two years at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy and entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See on 1 July 1994
- 1996: Doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of San Tommaso D'Aquino Angelicum
He received priestly ordination on June 17, 1984 by the imposition of the hands of Anthony Gogo Nwedo, bishop of Umuahia; he was incardinated at the age of twenty-four as a presbyter of the same diocese. On April 2, 1990, with the bull Praeteritis quidem, Pope John Paul II erected the diocese of Aba by separating its territory from the diocese of Umuahia; on the same day, he was incardinated as presbyter of the new see. He speaks several languages including English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, as well as Arabic
His first positions were held at the apostolic nunciatures in Ghana, Paraguay, Algeria and Geneva. He then worked in Rome in the Second Section of the Secretariat of State
Assignments:
- 1984-1986: parish vicar and administrator of the parish of Sant'Anna in Ibeku
- 2004: Pope John Paul II confers on him the title of Honorary Prelator of His Holiness
- 2007: Appointed Head of Protocol of the Secretariat of State
- 2012: Pope Benedict XVI appoints him Titular Archbishop of Aquaviva and Apostolic Nuncio to Nicaragua
- 2013: Pope Benedict XVI consecrates him Bishop.
- 2017: Pope Francis appoints him Apostolic Nuncio in Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, and Apostolic Delegate for the Antilles.
- 2018: Appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Saint Lucia, Grenada, the Bahamas, Suriname and Belize
- 2021: Pope Francis appoints him Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations in Geneva and to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and Representative of the Holy See to the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
- 2023 Pope Francis appoints him Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches