President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held in Rome, Italy, where world leaders gathered to strengthen global cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on October 12 for the summit, which began on October 14. According to a statement issued on Saturday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the trip reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to both regional and global security partnerships.
The Aqaba Process, launched by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2015, is a counter-terrorism initiative co-chaired by Jordan and Italy. The Rome edition focused on enhancing international collaboration in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, with a special emphasis on West Africa.
The high-level meeting took place on October 15 at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, with key participants including King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Delegations from Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan also attended.
The discussions were held behind closed doors, highlighting the sensitivity of the topics addressed.
On the sidelines of the event, President Tinubu held bilateral meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, focusing on strengthening security and economic cooperation.
He also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, where they discussed Nigeria’s commitment to religious tolerance and efforts to counter misinformation portraying the country as intolerant of religious diversity.
