Oil & Gas Skills: Nigeria’s NCDMB and Renaissance Africa Energy kick off a 12-month oil and gas field readiness training for 300 young Nigerians, mixing classroom work with 9 months on-the-job placements in Lagos and Port Harcourt. Road Safety Shock: Uganda suspends all school field trips after a bus crash killed 23 children and one adult, with more deaths expected as injured pupils succumb. Mandela Day Mobilisation: Tanzania marks Mandela International Day with unity, volunteerism and youth empowerment activities, including community service and support for girls’ entrepreneurship. Security & Accountability: South Africa’s SAPS says a private security officer in a Johannesburg police caravan video has apologised and received a formal warning, while training is planned for joint-operation teams. Regional Diplomacy: Sierra Leone’s President Bio arrives in Lungi for the 69th ECOWAS summit, set to tackle peace, security, integration and governance. Transport Regulation Debate: Ethiopia weighs whether electronic taxi-hailing needs a dedicated regulator as the sector consolidates from 50+ firms to fewer than 10 major operators. Energy Policy: Ghana’s NPA calls for downstream resilience amid global fuel-supply shocks, stressing investment in infrastructure, tech and rapid-response institutions. Agri-Food Support: Nigeria’s RISE project moves into operations, launching an EOI for women and youth-led MSMEs in northern rice, maize, soybean and groundnut value chains. Business Climate: Plateau State’s governor tells manufacturers the private sector will drive industrial growth, promising an enabling environment beyond federal allocations. Crime & Retail Fear: Cape Town residents report spaza shop closures tied to alleged extortion by armed gangs, disrupting access to basic goods.