Abuja: President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State Meeting held in Rome, Italy.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting was part of an initiative launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, aimed at enhancing global cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism. The Aqaba Process, co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, focuses on fostering security collaboration through strategic dialogue among nations. The recent session in Rome concentrated on boosting international efforts to combat terrorism, particularly in West Africa.

The high-level summit saw the attendance of several world leaders, including King Abdullah II, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and presidents from Nigeria, Chad, Togo, Paraguay, and Sierra Leone. Other notable attendees included Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House, and delegations from countries such as C´te d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan. The event also hosted security experts, special envoys, and representatives from global counterterrorism networks in a closed-door session.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu engaged in bilateral discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. presidential adviser on Arab-African affairs, Massad Boulos. He also met with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, where they talked about religious harmony and national unity. The discussions aimed to address false narratives portraying Nigeria as intolerant of religious diversity and to reaffirm the country’s commitment to peaceful coexistence.

Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has conducted 33 sessions, including expert roundtables and Heads of State meetings. Its strategic framework is based on three pillars: prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism responses.