President Bola Tinubu is expected back in Abuja on Saturday after attending the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the high-level summit was convened on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome.
The meeting focused on strengthening regional and international cooperation to combat terrorism and violent extremism, with a particular emphasis on West Africa.
Tinubu holds bilateral talks with Italy, the U.S., and the Vatican
On the sidelines of the conference, President Tinubu held a series of bilateral engagements.
He first met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, where both leaders discussed ways to enhance Nigeria–Italy cooperation in areas of economic development and security.
Tinubu also conferred with Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, who reaffirmed Washington’s support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and efforts to resolve internal conflicts.
In a separate meeting, the Nigerian President met privately with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, where discussions centred on promoting religious harmony and countering disinformation that misrepresents Nigeria as intolerant of faith diversity.
Aqaba Process: A platform for global counterterrorism collaboration
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, aims to enhance coordination among nations in addressing global terrorism threats. It is jointly co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Government of Italy.
Since its inception, the initiative has hosted 33 meetings at various levels — from expert workshops to summits of Heads of State and Government — focusing on prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism efforts.
The Rome session brought together several global leaders, including King Abdullah II, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Also in attendance were Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House, and high-level delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan. Deliberations were held behind closed doors.
