ECOWAS Integration Push: Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio urged West African leaders to deliver results, not promises, as China-aided ECOWAS headquarters was commissioned in Abuja—aimed at boosting coordination across the bloc’s institutions. Health Systems & Governance: ESAMI launched AfriCHEG in Arusha to close the research-to-policy gap in health economics, training leaders and using technology to strengthen Universal Health Coverage. Industrial & Energy Build-Out (Ghana): 24-Hour Economy and Petrochemical Holding GmbH signed an MoU for a US$700m chemical complex plus gold tailings recovery and environmental remediation—targeting jobs and export acceleration. Regional Infrastructure Finance (Angola/DRC): The Lobito Corridor railway hit financial close at $753m to rehabilitate and operate the 1,300km line linking Angola’s Lobito port to the DRC border. Digital Economy & AI: ITU and partners unveiled “Lighthouse Cases” for the Global Digital Compact, with multiple submissions from Asia and Africa; meanwhile Kenya’s Fikra API launched an M-Pesa-friendly AI inference service for local developers. Crypto Regulation (Nigeria): SEC admitted seven more crypto firms into its ARIP sandbox with Approval-in-Principle, tightening oversight as the market evolves. Sustainable Energy Access (Nigeria): Nigeria inaugurated its Africa Minigrids Programme with 23 mini-grids planned to power 50,000 people, backed by UNDP and the Rural Electrification Agency. Business Leadership (Africa): Diageo appointed John Musunga as Managing Director, Africa, relocating to Nairobi to drive growth across the continent.