President Bola Tinubu will on Sunday depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, a high-level summit focused on tackling the growing security threats in West Africa.
The meeting, which begins on October 14, will bring together Heads of State, top intelligence and defence officials from Africa, and representatives of key international and regional organizations to discuss strategies for countering terrorism and cross-border insecurity.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is a global counter-terrorism initiative jointly chaired by Jordan and the Italian government. It seeks to strengthen international coordination against terrorism, cyber radicalisation, and transnational organised crime.
This year’s session will focus on the escalating threats posed by terrorist groups across the Sahel, the growing link between land-based insurgencies and maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and the need for unified regional responses.
A statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the Rome meeting will provide a platform for participating nations to share intelligence, assess current threats, and design collaborative frameworks for maritime and land-based security operations.
Discussions will also explore strategies to counter online radicalisation, disrupt digital propaganda networks, and enhance defence cooperation across borders.
Beyond the main sessions, President Tinubu is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to strengthen partnerships aimed at stabilising the West African region.
The President will be accompanied by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, among other senior officials.
