Tinubu returns to Abuja after attending Aqaba Process Counter-Terrorism Summit in Rome

President Bola Tinubu returned to Abuja on Saturday after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-level Meeting held in Rome, Italy.

The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is a global counter-terrorism initiative co-chaired by Jordan and Italy. This year’s edition focused on enhancing regional and international cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism, with special attention on West Africa.

The high-level summit, held on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, was attended by several world leaders, including King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Also in attendance were 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 discussions were held behind closed doors.

According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs.

The Nigerian leader also met with the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, where discussions focused on promoting religious harmony and countering false narratives that misrepresent Nigeria as intolerant of religious diversity.

Since its creation, the Aqaba Process has hosted 33 meetings at various levels, ranging from technical expert sessions to presidential summits.

The initiative operates on three major pillars — prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in global counterterrorism efforts.