Tag: Rome

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja today for Rome, Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process heads of state and government meeting — a global platform dedicated to counter-terrorism and regional security cooperation. The Aqaba Process was launched in 2015 by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and is co-chaired by Jordan and the Italian government. It brings together world leaders, defence chiefs, and security experts to strengthen coordination against terrorism and transnational crime. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said the upcoming session will focus on the security crisis in West Africa. Opening on October 14, the meeting will gather presidents, top intelligence and military officials from African countries, as well as representatives from international and non-governmental organisations. Discussions will cover the expansion of terrorist networks, the growing connection between organised crime and terrorism, and the increasing link between land-based insurgencies in the Sahel and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Participants will exchange intelligence reports, assess the current security environment, and design strategies to improve cooperation in combating threats across borders. They will also explore new approaches to tackling online radicalisation and shutting down digital platforms that spread extremist propaganda and aid recruitment. Tinubu is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines of the summit to deepen regional partnerships and discuss joint responses to the rising insecurity across West Africa. He will be accompanied by Bianca Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs; Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence; Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser; Mohammed Mohammed, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency; and other senior government officials.