Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rome to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Level Meeting, which focuses on addressing the escalating security crisis in West Africa. The president’s plane landed at Rome Fiumicino International Airport on Sunday at approximately 7:20pm.

The meeting, scheduled to commence on Tuesday, will bring together heads of state and government, senior intelligence and military officials from African countries, as well as representatives from intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The Aqaba Process, a counter-terrorism initiative launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, aims to strengthen global cooperation against terrorism and violent extremism.

The 2025 session will examine the growing threats in West Africa, including the spread of terrorist networks, the crime-terror nexus, and the overlap between land-based insurgencies in the Sahel and maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Participants will exchange assessments of the current security landscape in West Africa and foster collaboration between regional and international partners to address cross-border security challenges.

During the meeting, strategies will be developed to counter the terror threat on land and at sea. Discussions will also focus on coordinating efforts to combat online radicalization and disrupt digital networks that facilitate terrorist propaganda and recruitment. In addition to attending the plenary sessions, President Tinubu will hold bilateral talks with other leaders to explore ways of addressing the rising security challenges across the subregion.

The Aqaba Process meeting takes place amid a backdrop of increasing security concerns in West Africa, with terrorist groups and criminal networks posing significant threats to regional stability. The meeting provides a platform for international cooperation and collaboration to address these challenges. By attending the meeting, President Tinubu demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to regional security and its willingness to work with international partners to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The outcomes of the meeting are expected to have significant implications for regional security and stability.