President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja following his participation in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
The summit brought together global leaders to enhance cooperation in combating terrorism and violent extremism, with a particular focus on West Africa.
President Tinubu departed Nigeria on October 12 ahead of the meeting, which took place on October 15 at Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art.
According to a State House press release issued on Saturday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the trip reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening regional and international security partnerships.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, is a counter-terrorism initiative co-chaired by Jordan and Italy. It has since held 33 meetings ranging from Heads of State summits to technical expert sessions, focusing on prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism.
The Rome meeting featured key figures including King Abdullah II, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Other participants included Algeria’s Upper House President Azouz Nasri and delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan.
The discussions, held behind closed doors due to their sensitive nature, aimed to strengthen global and regional collaboration against terrorism and violent extremism.
On the sidelines, President Tinubu held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs to former U.S. President Donald Trump, focusing on security and economic cooperation.
He also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, to highlight Nigeria’s dedication to religious tolerance and address false narratives undermining the country’s religious harmony.
President Tinubu’s engagement at the summit underscores his administration’s broader security diplomacy efforts and Nigeria’s active role in international peace and counterterrorism initiatives.
