President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting in Rome, Italy — a global forum focused on strengthening international cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
Tinubu left Nigeria on October 12 for the high-level meeting, which officially began on October 14.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the trip reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong 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, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is co-chaired by Jordan and Italy. This year’s edition focused on enhancing regional and international collaboration in the fight against terrorism, with special attention to the situation in West Africa.
The meeting, held on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, brought together world leaders including 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 Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House, and delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, alongside special envoys and counterterrorism experts.
The session was held behind closed doors, given the sensitive nature of the discussions centered on global security and counterterrorism coordination.
Bilateral Engagements
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, the U.S. President Donald Trump’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs. Discussions reportedly focused on deepening security and economic cooperation.
Tinubu also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, where they discussed Nigeria’s dedication to religious harmony and national unity.
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According to the statement, the meeting with the Vatican addressed “widespread disinformation campaigns that falsely portray Nigeria as intolerant of religious diversity.”
Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has convened 33 meetings at various levels — from expert sessions to leaders’ summits — built around three key principles: prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism.
Tinubu’s participation, the presidency noted, reflects his administration’s continued commitment to global security diplomacy and Nigeria’s active role in advancing peace and counterterrorism efforts worldwide.
