Tinubu Leaves Abuja For Security Summit In Rome

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday departed Abuja for Rome, Italy, to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting — a high-level forum focused on strengthening regional and global security cooperation, particularly in West Africa.

A statement by Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said the meeting, scheduled to begin on October 14, will convene leaders, senior intelligence and military officials from across Africa, as well as representatives of international organisations, to address the region’s growing security threats.

Launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, the Aqaba Process is a counter-terrorism initiative jointly hosted this year by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian Government. The summit aims to review evolving security dynamics in the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea, with a focus on combating terrorism, organised crime, and maritime piracy.

Delegates will also deliberate on curbing online radicalisation and disrupting digital platforms used for extremist recruitment and propaganda.

During the summit, President Tinubu is expected to hold bilateral talks with other leaders on enhancing cooperation to tackle insecurity in West Africa.

Accompanying the President are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, among other top government officials.