President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to depart Abuja today, Sunday, October 12, for Rome, Italy, where he will participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, scheduled to begin on October 14.
The meeting, co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian Government, focuses on strengthening global and regional responses to security threats, particularly in West Africa.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the summit will bring together Heads of State, senior military and intelligence officials, and representatives from inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, aims to tackle emerging and complex security threats.
This year’s discussions will centre on the spread of terrorist networks across West Africa, the crime-terrorism nexus, the link between Sahel-based terrorism and maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and online radicalisation and digital propaganda used by extremist groups.
“Participants will exchange insights on the current security situation in West Africa and work towards coordinated strategies to combat both land-based and maritime threats,” the statement read.
The summit will also address ways to disrupt online recruitment by terrorist organisations.
Beyond the main sessions, President Tinubu is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other world leaders to explore collaborative solutions to the security challenges facing Nigeria and the broader subregion.
Accompanying the President on the trip are Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu–Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Minister of Defence, Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) as well as other top government officials.
