Mohammed Umar was born in Azare in Nigeria's Bauchi State. He studied political science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. He then graduated with an M.A. in journalism from Moscow State University (1991) and M.A. in political economy from Middlesex University, UK (1996). Mohammed Umar served as a judge for the Caine Prize for African Writing in 2009 and he was the winner of the Muslim News Award for Excellence in Arts in 2010. He lives in London.