Food Security: IGAD warns 40.3m people across Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda face acute hunger in 2026, with conflict, drought and funding cuts driving the crisis. Digital Identity: Seamfix marks National ID Day 2026, urging trusted identity systems so hundreds of millions can access banking, healthcare and SIM registration. Digital Inclusion: GSMA and PDAA flag a mobile internet participation gap: 906m Africans live in coverage areas but still don’t use mobile internet, blocking access to online services. UNGA & Governance: Nigeria’s VP Kashim Shettima pushes for Africa’s permanent UN Security Council seats with veto power, alongside climate finance and tech transfer demands. Payments & Fintech: Interswitch calls for adaptive financial infrastructure in Nigeria to support resilient, interoperable digital payments. Banking & SME Finance: FCMB rolls out a special invoice financing scheme for pharmaceutical marketers in Nigeria. Central Banking & Trade: Ghana’s Bank of Ghana backs a pilot to cut third-party currency settlements with China via cedi-RMB cross-currency settlement. Energy & Industry: Kenya’s East Africa refinery in Lamu is set for a September 30 ground-breaking, with financing discussions tied to Dangote’s mega project visit. Critical Minerals: KoBold says Western miners can match China’s speed in Africa if approvals are streamlined and regulators coordinate. Infrastructure Integrity: AfDB bars Cameroon’s CR20 for 13 months over “fraudulent practice” in a transport corridor program. Agriculture Investment: Agriculture Summit Africa targets a $300m pipeline to unlock investable food-system projects.