Regional Trade Push: Ghana’s Deputy Trade Minister Sampson Ahi urged ECOWAS to deepen solidarity among trade officials, arguing a stronger integrated West African market is now an economic necessity as protectionism and supply shocks bite, with calls to speed up AfCFTA implementation and cut non-tariff barriers. Housing Innovation: The Africa International Housing Show in Abuja will debut an Innovation Hub to showcase smart construction, alternative building tech, PropTech and digital land administration as Africa tackles its housing deficit. Digital Security: Ghana’s Samuel Nartey George opened ECOWAS’s 2026 Regional Hackathon, warning that cybercrime and ransomware are already hitting West Africa’s financial systems and urging local ownership of digital security. Energy Finance: Zambia launched a grid resilience plan using an AfDB-backed loan to buy back costly sovereign bonds, linking debt management to electricity distribution upgrades. Ebola Response Funding: Africa CDC and WHO unveiled a $518m plan to support Ebola preparedness and response across affected countries. Visa Pressure in the US: The US State Department will pilot a $750 premium service to speed visa interviews, amid complaints about delays tied to tougher entry rules.