By peace Udugba
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Abuja following his participation in the high-level Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
The Aqaba Process, initiated in 2015 by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, aims to foster international cooperation in combating terrorism and violent extremism. The latest edition, co-hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian Government, placed emphasis on addressing security challenges in West Africa.
The summit, which took place on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, brought together 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 notable participants included Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House; delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan; as well as special envoys and counterterrorism experts. The meeting was held behind closed doors.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held bilateral discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs. He also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to deliberate on interfaith harmony and address concerns over misinformation misrepresenting Nigeria’s religious tolerance.
Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has hosted 33 meetings, focusing on three pillars: prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in global counterterrorism strategies.
