President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Sunday, October 12, depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, which will focus on addressing the worsening security crisis in West Africa.
In a statement Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga said the high-level summit, which opens on October 14, will convene Heads of State and Government, senior military and intelligence officials from across Africa, as well as representatives of international and non-governmental organisations. Discussions will centre on emerging threats posed by terrorism, organised crime, and maritime piracy in the region.
Launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, the Aqaba Process — co-chaired by Jordan and Italy — serves as a platform for global leaders to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts and strengthen regional security cooperation.
The Rome meeting will examine the growing links between terrorist groups and transnational criminal networks, and the convergence of land-based insurgencies in the Sahel with piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Delegates will also explore strategies to combat online radicalisation and disrupt digital platforms used for terrorist propaganda and recruitment.
During the summit, President Tinubu is expected to participate in plenary sessions and hold bilateral discussions with other leaders on collective measures to address West Africa’s complex security challenges.
Accompanying the President on the trip are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; and other senior government officials.
