Tinubu Returns to Abuja, Reaffirms Nigeria’s Commitment to Global Anti-Terrorism Efforts
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after attending the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting in Rome, Italy, where world leaders renewed their commitment to global cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
Tinubu, who departed Nigeria on October 12 for the summit that began on October 14, participated in the high-level session co-chaired by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu’s participation reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional and 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, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, aims to strengthen counterterrorism coordination through prevention, cooperation, and closing operational gaps among participating nations.
This year’s edition, held on October 15 at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, focused on bolstering collaboration against terrorism and violent extremism, with particular attention to West Africa.
World leaders who attended included King Abdullah II of Jordan, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Others were Algeria’s Upper House President, Azouz Nasri, and delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan, as well as special envoys and security experts.
The closed-door session discussed coordinated approaches to global security challenges.
On the sidelines of the summit, Tinubu held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, focusing on security and economic cooperation.
He also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss Nigeria’s commitment to 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 added.
Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has held 33 meetings at various levels, from Heads of State summits to technical expert sessions, promoting preventive strategies and coordinated counterterrorism frameworks.
Tinubu’s engagement in the Rome meeting, according to the presidency, aligns with his administration’s broader security diplomacy and Nigeria’s continued leadership role in peace and counterterrorism efforts across Africa and beyond.
