President Bola Tinubu will leave Abuja today for Rome, Italy, to attend the Aqaba Process heads of state and government meeting, a high-level counter-terrorism initiative established by Jordan’s King Abdullah II in 2015.

Jointly chaired by Jordan and Italy, the summit seeks to strengthen international cooperation in combating terrorism and emerging security threats.

According to Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, the meeting will focus on addressing the worsening security situation in West Africa.

Set to begin on October 14, the gathering will draw heads of state, intelligence chiefs, senior military officers, and representatives of international organisations. They will discuss the expansion of terrorist networks, the growing link between organised crime and terrorism, and the overlap between Sahel-based insurgencies and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Participants are expected to share assessments of the current security landscape and promote stronger collaboration between regional and international actors. Discussions will also include strategies to counter terrorism both on land and at sea, tackle online radicalisation, and dismantle digital platforms used for extremist propaganda and recruitment.

During his stay in Rome, Tinubu will also hold bilateral meetings with other leaders to strengthen partnerships aimed at tackling insecurity across the subregion.

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 top government officials.