Tinubu returns to Abuja after counterterrorism meeting in Rome
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
The meeting brought together world leaders to strengthen global and regional cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on October 12 for the summit, which began on October 14.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the trip reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to international 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, the statement explained, is “a counter-terrorism initiative launched by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2015,” and “co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Government of Italy.”
The Rome edition focused on “strengthening regional and international collaboration in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, with particular attention to West Africa.”
The high-level session, held on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, was attended by King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Other participants included Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House, as well as delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, alongside special envoys and security experts.
“The meeting was held behind closed doors,” the statement added, highlighting the sensitivity of the discussions on global counterterrorism coordination.
On the sidelines of the summit, Tinubu held bilateral meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs to former U.S. President Donald Trump, where security and economic cooperation were key topics.
He also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, to discuss Nigeria’s efforts to promote religious tolerance and unity.
“President Tinubu also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss religious harmony in Nigeria. The meeting addressed the widespread disinformation campaigns that falsely portray the country as intolerant of religious diversity,” the statement said.
