Tinubu returns to Abuja after counter-terrorism summit in Rome

Abdullateef Fowewe

President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja today following his participation in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held on October 15 in Rome, Italy.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), officially confirmed the President’s return in a statement on Saturday.

The summit gathered prominent global leaders to bolster collaboration against terrorism, with a special focus on West Africa.

The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, aims to enhance regional and international efforts in combating terrorism through prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps.

The Rome meeting at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art featured attendance from King Abdullah II, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo, alongside senior officials from several other countries.

On the sidelines, President Tinubu held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos.

He also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin to discuss promoting religious harmony in Nigeria. In that meeting, they addressed “widespread disinformation campaigns that falsely portray the country as intolerant of religious diversity.”

Since 2015, the Aqaba Process has convened 33 meetings at various levels, underlining its commitment to strengthening counterterrorism efforts globally.