President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Abuja after participating in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Security Meeting held in Rome, Italy.
The presidential aircraft, Nigeria Air Force 1, touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 7:30 pm on Saturday, marking the end of the President’s official trip.
Tinubu was received by top government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume; the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The Aqaba Process, a counter-terrorism initiative founded by His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2015, was co-chaired by Jordan and Italy for the Rome edition. The meeting focused on strengthening regional and international cooperation to combat terrorism and violent extremism, with special attention to West Africa.
Held on October 15, 2025, at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, the high-level gathering drew the presence of King Abdullah II of Jordan, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and presidents from Nigeria, Chad, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
Other attendees included Azouz Nasri, President of Algeria’s Upper House; delegations from Côte d’Ivoire, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Senegal, and Uzbekistan; as well as special envoys and security experts.
On the sidelines, President Tinubu held bilateral meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs to U.S. President Donald Trump. He also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, where they discussed promoting religious harmony and countering disinformation about Nigeria’s religious tolerance.
Since its inception, the Aqaba Process has held over 33 meetings, promoting cooperation through prevention, coordination, and closing operational gaps in the global fight against terrorism.
