Tinubu Arrives Rome For Aqaba Security Summit

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rome, Italy, for the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government meeting, which will focus on tackling the escalating security challenges in West Africa.

The presidential jet touched down at Rome Fiumicino International Airport around 7:20pm local time on Sunday.

The high-level meeting, co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian government, will open on Tuesday. It will draw together heads of state, senior intelligence and military officials from across Africa, as well as representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations.

Initiated in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, the Aqaba Process serves as a global counter-terrorism platform. This year’s edition zeroes in on the evolving threats in West Africa — from the spread of terrorist networks and the crime-terror nexus to the overlap between Sahel-based insurgencies and maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Participants are expected to explore ways to strengthen regional coordination, disrupt digital networks used for propaganda and recruitment, and combat online radicalisation.

According to Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit to deepen cooperation on regional security and stability.