President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
There, world leaders gathered to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
Tinubu had departed Nigeria on October 12 for the meeting scheduled to start on the 14th.
According to a State House Press Release issued on Saturday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s trip to Rome reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and global security partnerships.
“President Bola Tinubu returns to Abuja today after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting in Rome, Italy,” the statement read.
The Aqaba Process, the release explained, is “a counter-terrorism initiative launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2015” and “co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Government of Italy.”
The Rome edition of the meeting focused on “strengthening regional and international collaboration in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, with particular attention to West Africa.”
The high-level session took place on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, and drew participation from several global leaders including King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Other dignitaries in attendance included Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House, as well as delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, alongside special envoys and security experts.
“The meeting was held behind closed doors,” the statement noted, underscoring the sensitivity of the discussions focused on global counterterrorism coordination.
Bilateral Engagements
On the sidelines of the summit, Tinubu held bilateral meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, where security and economic cooperation reportedly topped discussions.
He also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, in a session that highlighted Nigeria’s commitment to religious tolerance and unity.
“President Tinubu also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss religious harmony in Nigeria.
“The meeting addressed the widespread disinformation campaigns that falsely portray the country as intolerant of religious diversity,” the release stated.
Since its inception in 2015, the Aqaba Process has convened 33 meetings across multiple levels — from Heads of State summits to technical expert sessions — built on “three core pillars: prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism efforts.”
The President’s participation in the Rome meeting, according to the release, aligns with his administration’s broader security diplomacy agenda and Nigeria’s active role in international peace and counterterrorism collaborations.
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