President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected back in Abuja today after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the high-level meeting, hosted at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, was convened on Wednesday, October 15, to strengthen regional and international collaboration in combating terrorism and violent extremism, with special focus on West Africa.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Government of Italy.
Since its inception, it has convened 33 meetings across different levels, from technical expert sessions to summits of Heads of State and Government, with its agenda built around prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism efforts.
The Rome session was attended by 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, as well as delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, joined the deliberations, which were held behind closed doors.
On the sidelines of the conference, President Tinubu held a series of bilateral meetings—first with Prime Minister Meloni on enhancing Nigeria–Italy economic and security cooperation; then with Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, who reaffirmed Washington’s support for Nigeria’s efforts to resolve internal conflicts and fight terrorism.
The Nigerian leader also met privately with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, where discussions centred on promoting religious harmony and addressing disinformation campaigns that falsely portray Nigeria as intolerant of faith diversity.
Tinubu is expected to arrive back in the Federal Capital Territory later today, following the conclusion of his engagements in Rome.
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