Air Connectivity Deal: Etihad Airways and Nigeria’s Air Peace signed an interline agreement linking their networks and opening single-ticket access to 20 destinations across Nigeria, West and Central Africa, including Abuja, Lagos onward, Abidjan, Dakar, Freetown, Monrovia, Conakry, Bamako, Douala and Libreville—supporting Etihad’s planned daily Abu Dhabi–Lagos service. Regional Energy Infrastructure: ECOWAS leaders backed the $25bn Nigeria–Morocco Atlantic gas pipeline, a corridor expected to run through multiple West African states including Côte d’Ivoire, but analysts warn security and protection of long infrastructure routes will be the real test. Local Innovation & Mobility: Ivorian micro-mobility startup Ecobyke joined FasterCapital’s EquityPilot programme to scale shared electric bikes, scooters and trotinettes across African cities, focusing on execution milestones and go-to-market readiness. Cocoa Value Chain Push: A new push for cocoa value addition highlights how Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana supply most of the world’s cocoa yet capture only a small share of the $130bn chocolate industry—driving efforts like the Cocoa Value Addition Alliance to move from raw exports to local processing. Business & Education in the Region: A student from Côte d’Ivoire’s Institut Universitaire d’Abidjan hosts the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court, with an Ivorian-based event drawing regional talent, while Nigeria’s National Mathematical Centre reports six medals at the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad held in Yamoussoukro.