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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu departed Abuja yesterday, October 12, en route Rome, to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government level meeting scheduled to commence tomorrow, October 14 in Italy.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President’s entourage included top government officials, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu–Ojukwu, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, among others.
The summit will gather African Heads of State, senior intelligence and military officials, as well as representatives from intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, focusing on the escalating security crisis in West Africa.
The Aqaba Process, launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-chaired by Jordan and Italy, is a key counter-terrorism initiative addressing the multifaceted threats confronting the West African region. These challenges include the spread of terrorist networks, a growing crime-terror nexus and the intertwining of land-based terrorism in the Sahel with maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
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At the meeting, participants will exchange evaluations of the current security environment and work towards strengthening cooperation between regional and international stakeholders to meet transnational threats. Discussions will prioritise developing strategies to counter terrorism both on land and in the sea, as well as plans to combat online radicalisation and dismantle digital propaganda and recruitment networks.
Aside from attending plenary sessions, President Tinubu is expected to engage in bilateral talks with fellow leaders to identify coordinated solutions for burgeoning security concerns in West Africa.
Commenting on the significance of the trip, President Tinubu said: “Our presence at the Aqaba Process meeting underscores Nigeria’s commitment to regional peace and security. Collaborating with international partners is vital to confronting the complex security challenges threatening our West African subregion.”
The outcome of the summit is expected to bolster collective efforts to curtail terrorism and piracy that have continued to destabilise the region.
