Oil & Gas Contracting: Wison New Energies won an EPCIC milestone for Eni’s Baleine Phase 3 FPSO offshore Côte d’Ivoire, with the FPSO designed for up to 90,000 bpd oil and 160m scf/day gas—an end-to-end delivery from early engineering to execution. Energy & Industry Finance: The AfDB approved a $400m loan for South Africa’s Mpumalanga municipalities to cut water and power losses and improve utility performance, using performance targets to unlock private participation—an industrial reliability play. Customs & Trade Security: Benin and Nigeria completed a WCO-led geospatial intelligence Customs operation (GEOCONTROL), delivering 37 seizures across narcotics, pharmaceuticals, petroleum products and consumer goods along the border corridor. Cocoa Market Watch: Cocoa prices jumped on short covering after North American grindings rose, while heavy rains in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are disrupting farm access and raising disease risks. Local Value Creation: Abidjan’s fashion scene is going global via social media, with designers like Loza Maleombho gaining international attention while keeping production rooted in Côte d’Ivoire. Critical Minerals Push: African ministers meeting in Abidjan urged more beneficiation and regional value chains so the continent captures more value from critical minerals instead of exporting raw ore.