Cocoa Value Addition Push: West African cocoa producers including Côte d’Ivoire signed the “Abuja Declaration” to create a Cocoa Value Addition Alliance under the “From Bean to Brand” theme, aiming to boost local processing, factories, and farmers’ incomes. Energy & Regional Integration: APPO NOC-CEO Forum is set for October 12 in Cape Town alongside African Energy Week, with a focus on integrating Africa’s oil and gas value chain through refining, regional gas markets, and harmonised rules. Offshore Oil Contract (Côte d’Ivoire): SLB OneSubsea won Eni’s Phase 3 EPC contract for the Baleine deepwater project, delivering subsea production systems for 13 wells and leveraging local capabilities in Ivory Coast. Digital Infrastructure (Côte d’Ivoire): Raxio says it has expanded committed capital to $380m and is entering Tanzania, while already operating carrier-neutral data centres across multiple African markets including Ivory Coast. Disaster Risk Finance (Abidjan): African Risk Capacity appointed David Maslo as CEO, highlighting its transformation and relocation to Abidjan and expanded sovereign flood insurance. US-Africa Diplomacy: Frank Garcia, newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, begins a West Africa tour including Côte d’Ivoire, as Nigeria-US security cooperation and regional priorities are discussed. Immigration & Mobility (Policy Watch): Denmark, the UK, and South Africa published updated visa rules and exemption lists affecting African travellers, including Côte d’Ivoire. Culture & Music: AFRIMMA returns after a two-year break with nominees unveiled; Davido leads with five nominations and a new Dallas festival is planned.