Sahel Security & US Policy: The Trump administration is weighing military action in Mali against the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM, with officials split on whether to escalate airstrikes as the group expands across Mali, Burkina Faso and southwestern Niger. Regional Trade Friction: West African onion traders in Ghana have kept Nigerian trucks detained at Kotoku Market since July 21, raising fears of a wider trade dispute and fresh pressure on ECOWAS-style trade enforcement. AFCON 2032 Bid (Business/Infrastructure): CAF has accepted the joint declaration of interest from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to proceed in the AFCON 2032 hosting race, moving the Sahel alliance to the next bidding stage despite ongoing security concerns. Senate Oversight Push: Nigeria’s Senate warned MDAs and GOEs to comply with summons over internally generated revenue and remittances, threatening constitutional sanctions for non-compliance. Niger State Policing: Niger State police recovered a stolen vehicle in Lapai after arrests in Kano, with suspects linked to a cross-state vehicle theft operation. Human Capital & Skills: A World Bank review of the 10-year Centres of Excellence project says future higher-education funding should require operational autonomy to improve results, especially for newer universities. Agriculture/Climate Resilience: An Australian “forest maker” approach helped Niger farmers regenerate 200+ million trees by reviving living stumps and buried seeds, boosting degraded land recovery. Sahel Mining & Insurgency Finance: ACLED reports jihadist groups increasingly exploit mining economies in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to fund violence and expand control. Education Finance Gap: UNN says South-East uptake of Nigeria’s NELFUND is low, urging students to access interest-free loans.