Sahel Security & Arms Flows: A new eight-year weapons tracing study across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and the Lake Chad Basin says jihadist groups rely less on exotic foreign supply chains than on weapons seized from national armies and abandoned during retreats, with most recovered arms made decades ago. Food Security & Inflation Spillovers: In northern Nigeria, children’s malnutrition is worsening as the Iran war pushes up costs and Nigeria’s fuel-price shock and currency pressure deepen poverty, leaving families unable to keep food consistent. ECOWAS Leadership: Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected ECOWAS chair, tasked with driving reforms and rebuilding trust as Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger remain outside the bloc. Niger State Health Insurance Push: NiCare says it has enrolled 121,000 residents in health insurance programmes and plans a First Lady-led drive to add 65,000 more vulnerable people. Niger Child Trafficking Crackdown: Niger State police rescued nine trafficked children and arrested two suspects, including a driver allegedly paid ₦194,000 to procure children for domestic work and other child labour. Energy & Power Reliability: TCN announced a two-day outage in six northern states for maintenance, while AEDC warned of a weekend power cut in Abuja affecting key federal sites. ECOWAS Reform Pressure: Ministers in Sierra Leone urged renewed unity and institutional changes to restore citizens’ confidence in regional integration. Trade & Investment Links: Niger and Oman discussed expanding bilateral cooperation and economic partnerships, including follow-up on agreements with private-sector involvement. Uranium Market Outlook: Analysts forecast a structural bull market for uranium into 2026 as supply constraints and SMR “shadow demand” tighten the market.