Tinubu and Meloni Strengthen Nigeria-Italy Ties in Rome
On October 15, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met at Rome’s Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna during the Aqaba Process summit to strengthen Nigeria-Italy ties.
Tinubu and Meloni Strengthen Nigeria-Italy Ties in Rome
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. The bilateral talks, held during the Aqaba Process summit, focused on boosting economic ties, security cooperation, and migration solutions. The iconic art gallery, home to over 20,000 works by artists like Giacomo Balla and Vincent van Gogh, provided a unique backdrop for this high-stakes diplomacy.
The meeting was part of the Aqaba Process, a Jordan-led initiative to combat terrorism in West Africa, hosted in Rome to address jihadist threats in the Sahel and Gulf of Guinea. Meloni opened the summit, emphasizing Italy’s role as a bridge between Europe and Africa. Tinubu, alongside Meloni and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, discussed coordinated efforts to tackle extremism, including groups like Boko Haram.
Economic cooperation topped the agenda. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, seeks Italian investment in agriculture, renewable energy, and infrastructure. Tinubu highlighted his reforms, like fuel subsidy removal and currency unification, which have attracted over $30 billion in foreign pledges since 2023. Italy, a key player in Nigeria’s energy sector through companies like Eni, sees Nigeria as vital for energy diversification. Bilateral trade hit €8.5 billion in 2024, driven by energy and machinery exports.
Migration was another focus. Italy’s Mattei Plan, a €5.5 billion initiative, aims to curb irregular migration by fostering African development. Tinubu and Meloni explored vocational training and border security tech to support legal migration pathways, aligning with EU-Africa goals.
Security discussions centered on counter-terrorism. Nigeria’s fight against insurgents benefits from international partnerships like the Aqaba Process, which offers intelligence-sharing and training. Italy pledged support through defense expertise, building on prior Tinubu-Meloni talks at the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi.
The choice of GNAM as the venue sparked minor controversy, with unions criticizing its two-day closure for the summit. Still, the setting underscored Italy’s use of cultural heritage to elevate diplomacy. For Nigeria, the talks signal a push for foreign investment amid domestic challenges like 34% inflation. For Italy, they reinforce Meloni’s Africa strategy, balancing migration control with economic partnerships.
This meeting marks a step toward stronger Nigeria-Italy ties. Future agreements may focus on gas exports to replace Russian supplies and cultural exchanges, like art loans from GNAM to Nigerian galleries. As global challenges mount, Tinubu and Meloni’s collaboration shows diplomacy’s power to build practical solutions.
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