President Bola Tinubu will on Sunday depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, which will focus on the worsening security situation in West Africa.
The meeting, opening on October 14, will bring together Heads of State and Government, senior intelligence and defence officials from across Africa, as well as representatives of international and non-governmental organisations. Discussions will centre on combating terrorism, organised crime, and piracy in the region.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, serves as a global platform for promoting cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.
This year’s session will review the expansion of terrorist networks in the Sahel, the growing link between crime and terrorism, and the overlap between land-based terror operations and maritime insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
Participants are expected to share intelligence, assess current threats, and strengthen coordination between regional and international partners. Deliberations will also explore strategies to counter online radicalisation and disrupt digital networks used for terrorist propaganda and recruitment.
During the meeting, President Tinubu will hold bilateral talks with other world leaders on efforts to improve security cooperation across West Africa.
The President is accompanied by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Dauda; and other senior government officials.
