As President Bola Tinubu and his top security officials converge in Rome for the Aqaba Process heads of state and government meeting, Nigerians watch with cautious hope.
Development Diaries reports that the president has arrived in Rome, the capital of Italy, to participate in the Aqaba Process heads of state and government-level meeting.
The gathering, aimed at tackling terrorism, banditry, and organised crime across West Africa, is a timely intervention in regional security discussions.
While the high-level talks may generate pledges and polished communiqués, it is hoped that beyond conference declarations, the meeting would yield meaningful results in tackling insecurity concerns back home.
The real battlefield is not in a conference hall, it is in Kaduna, Zamfara, Plateau, Borno states and all the rural communities where Nigerians continue to flee from armed groups and sleep in fear.
For years, the country has witnessed countless security summits and foreign collaborations, yet the crisis at home deepens.
Bandits still raid villages, terrorists still operate in parts of the northeast, and kidnappings for ransom have become a grim norm.
These are daily realities for citizens who have long stopped counting the number of lives lost.
If this trip to Rome is to mean anything, it must be more than another round of diplomatic tourism; it must signal a shift from words to action, from foreign strategy sessions to practical, home-grown security reforms.
The presence of key national figures such as the National Security Advisor, the Minister of Defence, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) offers an opportunity to forge meaningful partnerships and strengthen intelligence sharing.
However, these efforts must translate into tangible results. Nigerians are not looking for grand speeches; they are looking for evidence of change, a country where schools are safe, highways are secure, and farmers can return to their lands without fear.
Mr President, as you sit at the table with global leaders, remember that Nigeria’s fight for security is not a talking point, it is a national emergency.
Citizens must call on the president to ensure that this trip delivers more than headlines and that it brings home results that can be seen, felt, and trusted by Nigerians.
