By our Reporter
President Bola Tinubu will, on Sunday, October 12, depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, aimed at tackling escalating security challenges in West Africa.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the high-level meeting will begin on October 14 and bring together African leaders, senior intelligence and defence officials, and representatives from international and non-governmental organisations to deliberate on the region’s worsening security situation.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, promotes global collaboration in combating terrorism and violent extremism.
This year’s session will focus on the rising threats across West Africa, including the expansion of terrorist networks, links between organised crime and terrorism, and the growing intersection between Sahel-based insurgencies and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
Participants are expected to share intelligence on the current security landscape and strengthen partnerships between regional and international actors. The discussions will also cover strategies to curb terrorism on land and sea, combat online radicalisation, and disrupt digital propaganda and recruitment networks.
Beyond the plenary sessions, President Tinubu will engage in bilateral talks with other world leaders to explore joint solutions to the region’s security issues.
The statement added that the President will be 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 Mohammed, and other senior government officials.
