Digital Education Push: Airtel Africa says it will connect 5,000 schools across its 14 operating countries with free internet by 2027, building on a UNICEF partnership that has already linked 3,296 schools and zero-rated 64 learning platforms. Women Economic Empowerment: Niger State Governor Umaru Bago says his administration has domesticated the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy framework and appointed women as vice chairpersons in all 25 LGAs to boost inclusive grassroots development. US Visa Pressure on Niger: The US keeps full entry bans on nationals from Niger (along with Burkina Faso, Mali and Sierra Leone) while imposing partial restrictions on several other West African countries, raising travel and business friction for the region. Sahel Integration Agenda: Burkina Faso’s AES commission reviews progress on the second-year roadmap, urging faster execution and stronger funding to advance defense, development and diplomacy across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Public Sector Online Fix: Niger State IT officials repaired broken links on the MDAs webpage after a media watchdog flagged that most ministry buttons were non-functional. Debt-for-Education Advocacy: UNESCO urges wider debt-for-education swaps, warning that many developing countries now spend more repaying debt than funding schooling.