Dangote Refinery IPO: Aliko Dangote’s 700,000 bpd refinery has kicked off a N2.15trn ($1.6bn) public offer, priced at N525 per share with a minimum N5,250 subscription, targeting up to 10 million retail investors and aiming to expand capacity to 1.4m bpd. Capital Markets Boost: Nigeria’s NGX market cap jumped back above N160tn after Dangote Sugar’s new shares listed, underscoring investor appetite around major listings. Counterfeit Crackdown: Nigeria’s NAFDAC says it destroyed over N1.5tn in fake regulated products and secured 64 convictions, while pushing for harsher penalties for counterfeiters. Trade & FX Signals: Nigeria’s Q2’26 trade surplus widened to N12.59tn as exports hit N27.02tn, with non-crude exports overtaking crude for the first time in years. Payments & Social Commerce: Mastercard partners Kenya’s Flowcart to embed secure card payments into WhatsApp-style social shopping, with expansion planned across East Africa and beyond. Solar Mini-Grids: IRENA urges Nigeria to create an enabling framework for battery-backed solar mini-grids, including skills, certification and safety standards. EV Competition in Kenya: A battery-swap network launch is drawing multiple new EV makers to Kenya, likely intensifying price and model competition. Household Pressure in SA: South African families are cutting food and nutrition as essentials like electricity and transport take priority, deepening the cost-of-living squeeze.