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, where world leaders gathered to strengthen cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on October 12 for the summit, which commenced on October 14.
According to a statement released on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the trip 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 is a counter-terrorism initiative launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by the governments of Jordan and Italy.
The Rome edition of the meeting focused on strengthening regional and international collaboration in combating terrorism and violent extremism, with a particular focus on West Africa.
The high-level session, held on October 15 at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, drew the participation of King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Also in attendance were Algeria’s Upper House President Azouz Nasri and delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, alongside special envoys and security experts.
The meeting was held behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, which focused on improving global counterterrorism coordination.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, the U.S. President’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, to discuss enhanced security and economic cooperation.
He also held talks with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, where discussions centered on promoting religious harmony and countering misinformation portraying Nigeria as intolerant of religious diversity.
Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has convened 33 meetings worldwide, focusing on prevention, coordination, and bridging operational gaps in global counterterrorism efforts.
The presidency said Tinubu’s participation in the Rome meeting aligns with his administration’s broader agenda of strengthening Nigeria’s role in international peace, security, and counterterrorism diplomacy.
