Border Security & Trade Facilitation: Benin’s immigration chief Samuel Basintale Amadu launched a West Africa SHIFT project steering committee in Accra, aiming to harmonise integrated border management across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Togo (with Burkina Faso in regional support) to curb violent extremism and transnational crime while boosting cross-border growth. Customs & Corridor Lessons: A benchmarking mission at Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border brought together customs chiefs from Cameroon, Nigeria and Benin to adapt best practices for West African trade corridors, including the Sèmè-Kraké corridor linking Nigeria and Benin and the Mfum-Ekok corridor. ECOWAS MSME Push: ECOWAS Parliament urged member states to remove border bottlenecks by harmonising customs, import rules, taxation and business registration, and to expand affordable finance for women- and youth-led MSMEs. US Visa Bond Policy: The US made its refundable visa bond programme permanent, with consular officers able to require up to $20,000 for eligible B1/B2 applicants from 50 countries including Benin, refundable if conditions are met. Energy & Regional Markets: Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s July exports showed Togo and Cameroon as top buyers of refined products, underscoring Nigeria’s expanding fuel footprint across West and Central Africa. Tourism Dealmaking: AITEC World unveiled two Africa-focused tourism events in Cotonou, pitching tourism as a catalyst for investment, trade and regional integration.