Tinubu Returns to Abuja After Aqaba Process Counterterrorism Summit in Rome

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected back in Abuja today after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting held in Rome, Italy, the Presidency has announced.

The development was confirmed in a statement on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.

The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is a high-level counterterrorism initiative jointly coordinated by Jordan and Italy. The Rome edition focused on strengthening regional and global partnerships in combating terrorism and violent extremism, with particular emphasis on West Africa.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, October 15, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, brought together 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.

Other attendees included 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.

According to the Presidency, the session was held behind closed doors to facilitate frank discussions on shared security challenges.

On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held bilateral meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tinubu also met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to discuss issues of religious harmony in Nigeria. During the meeting, the President addressed growing disinformation campaigns aimed at misrepresenting the country as intolerant of religious diversity.

Since its creation, the Aqaba Process has hosted 33 meetings across various levels — from Heads of State summits to technical expert sessions — built on three key pillars: prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in counterterrorism efforts.

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