President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja today after attending the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting in Rome, Italy.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the high-level gathering was held on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art to enhance regional and international cooperation in tackling terrorism and violent extremism, with a special emphasis on West Africa.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is jointly chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Government of Italy.
Since its establishment, it has convened 33 meetings at various levels from technical expert sessions to summits of Heads of State and Government focused on prevention, coordination, and bridging operational gaps in counterterrorism strategies.
The Rome meeting brought together several world leaders, including King Abdullah II, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Algeria’s Upper House President, Azouz Nasri, along with delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, also participated in the closed-door discussions.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held bilateral meetings—first with Prime Minister Meloni on deepening Nigeria–Italy economic and security partnerships; and later with Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, who reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s peace and counterterrorism efforts.
The President also met privately with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss promoting religious tolerance and combating misinformation that misrepresents Nigeria as intolerant of faith diversity.
Tinubu is expected to arrive in the Federal Capital Territory later today after concluding his engagements in Rome.
