Malnutrition Spike Linked to Iran War: In Sokoto, Nigeria, families say children are relapsing into malnutrition as petrol prices rise and food becomes inconsistent, with aid and health workers pointing to knock-on effects from the Iran conflict amid already fragile northern livelihoods. Child Trafficking Crackdown in Niger: Niger State police rescued 9 trafficked children in two incidents and arrested 2 suspects, including a man allegedly recruiting girls for Benin under promises of school enrolment and child labour. Rail Security and Asset Recovery: Nigeria’s Nigerian Railway Corporation says it will deepen collaboration with police after recovering about ₦200m in stolen railway materials and arresting three suspected vandals. Power Disruptions for Businesses: TCN announced a 48-hour outage affecting parts of Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba for maintenance, while AEDC warned of weekend power cuts in Abuja’s high-profile federal areas. ECOWAS Reform Pressure: ECOWAS ministers in Freetown urged unity and institutional reforms to restore citizens’ confidence as political and security strains weigh on regional integration. AI for Critical Minerals: An Atlantic Council report says AI-driven mining could boost global output value by up to $390bn a year by 2035, but Africa still gets a small share of exploration spending. Niger Health Insurance Push: Niger’s NiCare says it has enrolled 121,000 residents in health insurance and plans a First Lady-led drive to add 65,000 more vulnerable people.