West Africa

Nigeria takes dual approach to environmental enforcement, piloting West Africa's first regional fishing vessel database while conservation groups prepare World Pangolin Day lecture to address wildlife trafficking pressures.

President Bola Tinubu has signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, introducing electronic transmission of results and extending election notification periods to 300 days, as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The West African Examinations Council has rolled out its DigiCert platform in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia, marking a significant shift toward digital credential verification in the region's education sector.

Global cocoa futures have fallen below $4,000 per metric ton in recent weeks, marking a sharp reversal from historic highs that had squeezed chocolate manufacturers and threatened production in top exporters Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.

The ECOWAS Court of Justice faces mounting challenges as member states, including Nigeria, routinely ignore its rulings, prompting Nigeria's Chief Justice to call for clearer enforcement guidelines across the 15-nation bloc.

The ECOWAS Court of Justice is grappling with systematic non-compliance as member states including Nigeria fail to enforce its judgments, prompting Nigeria's Chief Justice to call for clearer regional enforcement guidelines.

Burkina Faso's deteriorating security claimed seven Ghanaian traders in a recent Islamist attack, while Nigeria warns citizens against illegal recruitment to foreign conflicts following reports of deaths in Ukraine.

Washington signals pragmatic shift in engagement with West African military governments while pivoting energy partnerships from aid to investment, as African nations navigate intensifying geopolitical competition.