By Barth Ikiebe
President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Sunday, October 12, for Rome, Italy, where he is set to attend a crucial summit aimed at tackling the escalating security crisis in West Africa.
The President will participate in the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government-Level Meeting, a global counter-terrorism initiative spearheaded by King Abdullah II of Jordan and co-hosted with the Italian Government.
The Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga stated on his X handle on Saturday, that the high-level gathering kicks off on October 14.
“Bringing together Heads of State, Intelligence Chiefs, Military Leaders, and representatives of global organisations, the summit will focus on strengthening cooperation against terrorism, transnational crime, and maritime threats in the region.”
Launched in 2015, the Aqaba Process is an international platform for coordinated action against terrorism and extremism. This year’s spotlight is on West Africa, a region grappling with a dangerous cocktail of land-based insurgencies in the Sahel, maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and the growing nexus between terror groups and organised crime.
Key topics to be addressed at the summit include:
Joint strategies to combat cross-border terrorism; Disrupting online radicalisation and digital recruitment by extremist groups; Strengthening maritime security and intelligence sharing as well as
enhancing collaboration between regional and international security actors.
President Tinubu is also expected to hold bilateral talks with other world leaders on the sidelines of the summit, as part of efforts to forge stronger regional alliances in the fight against insecurity.
The President will be accompanied by a high-powered delegation, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed and other top government officials.
