President Bola Tinubu has landed in Rome, Italy’s capital, to take part in the Aqaba Process heads of state and government-level meeting.
President Tinubu’s visit to Rome is for the Aqaba Process, a counter-terrorism initiative launched by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2015.
The initiative is co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian government, with a focus on addressing the security crisis in West Africa.
“The meeting, which will begin on October 14, will bring together heads of state and government, senior intelligence and military officials from African countries, and representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to discuss the evolving security challenges in West Africa,” a statement earlier released by the Presidency said.
“It recognises the complex security challenges confronting West Africa, including the expansion of terrorist networks, the growing crime-terror nexus and the increasing overlap between land-based terrorism in the Sahel and the maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.”
According to the statement, participants will review the current security landscape in West Africa and strengthen cooperation between regional and global partners to tackle cross-border threats.
They will also develop strategies to counter terrorism both on land and at sea.
The agenda includes discussions on coordinating efforts to combat online radicalisation and dismantle digital channels used for terrorist propaganda and recruitment.
Alongside the plenary sessions of the Aqaba meeting, President Tinubu will engage in bilateral discussions with other leaders to explore solutions to the escalating security challenges across the subregion.
The President is accompanied by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru; National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed; and other senior government officials.