Cocoa Value Addition Push: West African cocoa producers signed the Abuja Declaration to create a Cocoa Value Addition Alliance, aiming to move “From Bean to Brand” through more local processing, factories and jobs—an industrial shift that directly targets Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa value chain. ARC Insurance for Climate Shocks: African Risk Capacity appointed David Maslo as CEO, backing expanded sovereign flood insurance and risk-financing solutions—good news for resilience planning that affects industrial continuity. Côte d’Ivoire Mining Investment: Predictive Discovery will invest about $10m for a stake in Awalé Resources, focused on large-scale gold discovery in north-west Côte d’Ivoire, with drilling underway at the Odienné project. Offshore Oil Engineering: SLB OneSubsea won an Eni contract for Phase 3 of the Baleine deepwater development offshore Côte d’Ivoire, delivering subsea systems for 13 wells and supporting local execution capacity. Digital Economy in UEMOA: Burkina Faso hosted a UEMOA forum on AI-powered digital economy, with Côte d’Ivoire among countries preparing a regional AI development strategy and harmonized digital rules. Fuel Supply Pressure in the Region: Reports on rising petrol landing costs tied to Middle East tensions underline how quickly logistics and energy shocks can ripple into West African industrial costs. Identity Systems Upgrade: NIMC said Nigeria’s NIN is now the master identity across sectors, with real-time verification—relevant for regional fintech and business onboarding models.