October 12, (THEWILL) — President Bola Tinubu on Sunday evening arrived in Rome, Italy, for the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Level Meeting, which will focus on tackling the growing security crisis in West Africa.
The presidential aircraft touched down at the Rome Fiumicino International Airport at 7:20 p.m. local time.
Scheduled to begin on Tuesday, the summit will bring together Heads of State and Government, senior intelligence and military officials from African nations, and representatives of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to discuss the region’s evolving security challenges.
Launched in 2015 by King Abdullah II of Jordan, the Aqaba Process is a counter-terrorism initiative co-chaired by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Italian Government.
The 2025 edition will focus on addressing the expansion of terrorist networks, the growing crime-terror nexus, and the increasing overlap between land-based terrorism in the Sahel and maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to a statement by Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, the meeting will explore strategies to counter terrorism, combat online radicalisation, and disrupt digital networks used for terrorist propaganda and recruitment.
In addition to attending plenary sessions, President Tinubu is expected to hold bilateral talks with other leaders to strengthen regional and international cooperation on security issues.
Meanwhile, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which begin Monday, October 13, in Washington, D.C.
Onanuga said Cardoso would represent the country in place of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who is currently indisposed.
According to the World Bank, highlights of the Annual Meetings include the Development Committee Plenary session on October 16 and the International Monetary and Financial Committee meetings on October 17.
Other key events will feature regional briefings, press conferences, and discussions on international development, the global economy, and financial markets.
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