West Africa

The regional economy shows a split between major corporate consolidation in Nigeria and acute infrastructure strain elsewhere. MTN's $6.2 billion takeover of IHS Towers signals deep telecom investment, while Lagos advances road repairs and courts World Bank support. However, the Benin region suffers crippling 10-hour daily power outages, and Ivory Coast prepares to cut its crucial cocoa farmgate price.

• 1Exclusive: Ivory Coast to cut farmer cocoa price with earlier start of mid-crop, sources say
• 1Ghana targets 127t of artisanal gold annually under sweeping reforms
• 1Lagos approves bus fare increase
• 1Cocoa stocks from main harvest pile up in Ivory Coast warehouses
• 1Ecobank profit jumps 29% to N950bn for FY 2025

Political activity is fragmented, with Lagos asserting jurisdictional authority and Ghana conducting symbolic and diplomatic maneuvers. Lagos clarified a court ruling applies only to the FCT, not its territory, and its police are handling a damages case involving Sowore. Ghana's government renamed its main airport, took a slavery case to the UN, and its foreign minister pressed Ukraine on prisoner release, while France returned a colonial-era artifact to Ivory Coast.

• 1Ghana FM in Kyiv Urges Ukraine to Release 2 Ghanaian POWs
• 1Ghana drops coup leader's name from main airport on putsch anniversary
• 1Ghana takes transatlantic slavery case to UN
• 1Ghanaian VP celebrates Spring Festival, praises Ghana-China ties
• 1West Africa tells France to leave as Russia gains influence

Security is dominated by external conflict spillover and internal instability. Ghana confirmed at least 55 citizens killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine and evacuated survivors from a terrorist attack in Burkina Faso. Guinea's capital experienced sustained gunfire causing panic, and it is holding Sierra Leonean security personnel in a border dispute, while Sierra Leone itself arrested a Nigerian for drug trafficking.

• 2At least 55 Ghanaians killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine war, minister says
• 1Police find luxury properties with unusual amenities in Bacellar case
• 1Ghana rescues fishermen after armed attack
• 1Nigerian arrested in Sierra Leone for drug trafficking
• 1US deports African migrants to Cameroon under Trump crackdown

Public discontent in Lagos over chronic power failure is the dominant social tension, moving into active protest. Residents demonstrated against an eight-month blackout, accusing the power distribution company IKEDC of insincerity. Concurrently, the Lagos state government continues assertive urban management, cracking down on illegal chieftaincy titles and impounding motorcycles.

• 1Sierra Leone’s harsh new laws for protection of women and girls causing harm in wrong places
• 14 journalists detained in Cameroon reporting on Trump’s deportations