President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Abuja today, October 18, 2025, after travelling to Rome for the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government meeting, where world leaders convened to deepen global cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
His presence at the summit showed Nigeria’s willingness to play a central role in regional and international security efforts, particularly in West Africa. The Rome gathering, held on October 15 at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, offered a platform for important dialogue and coordination.
The Aqaba Process initiative, established in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, aims to build a cooperative counterterrorism framework based on prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps.
The Rome edition drew participation from numerous heads of state and government, including King Abdullah II, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and the presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Delegations from Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Senegal, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan also attended, along with various security experts and envoys. Because the summit was held behind closed doors, official disclosures were limited.
Read Also: Jonathan To Meet Tinubu Over Kanu’s Detention, Says Sowore
While in Rome, President Tinubu met with several global actors to advance Nigeria’s security, diplomatic, and image objectives. He held talks with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni focusing on security and economic collaboration. He also met Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs to former U.S. President Donald Trump, where security and development cooperation were central topics.
In a separate session, Tinubu met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, to discuss religious harmony in Nigeria. The meeting addressed the issue of disinformation that portrays the country as intolerant toward religious diversity.
According to a State House press release by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s trip to Rome was intended to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to global and regional security partnerships.
Since its founding, the Aqaba Process has convened 33 meetings at various levels — from technical expert sessions to national leader summits. For Nigeria, this participation is consistent with the current administration’s broader diplomacy agenda, in which security and counterterrorism form a core pillar. The country faces significant challenges in the Sahel belt and along the Gulf of Guinea, where violent extremism, transnational crime, and militant networks often overlap.