Cocoa Value Push: Côte d’Ivoire is ramping up local cocoa processing capacity for 2026/27, targeting 1.344m tonnes (up from 1.155m), as farmgate prices fall and authorities call for more investment in research, mechanization and resilient, disease-resistant plants. Cocoa Market Signals: Cocoa futures surged past 6,500 per tonne on tighter supply fears, with forecasts for the 2026/27 global surplus sharply reduced amid El Niño risk and weaker crop outlooks in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Regional Power Tech: West Africa is extending cross-border electricity integration with 4,000+ km of transmission lines linking 15 countries, boosting access for millions and raising regional power trade share. Ports & Logistics: Nigeria’s maritime ambitions are being hit by congestion and delays that inflate landed costs, while West Africa’s ports are urged to cut waiting and coordination failures. Health Insurtech Expansion: Alan, backed by Kylian Mbappé, buys Dakar’s Tanel to deepen health insurance networks in Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, aiming for 1m customers across Africa by 2030. Housing Tech & Policy: Abidjan’s housing crunch shows how fast-growing cities outpace supply, leaving renters squeezed and pushing affordability problems into everyday life. Water & WASH Partnerships: Global Water Challenge and Cargill expand “Cargill Currents” to more countries, including Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on safe water, sanitation, watershed restoration and farm water efficiency. Urban Mobility Shake-up: Uber exits Uganda (and also Nigeria), narrowing operations across Africa to Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.