AGP Executive Report

Startup Momentum: The ECOWAS Startup Awards drew about 9,000 entries, with 60 finalists from 12 countries. Cabo Verde’s Afrikan Coders made the top five, while Nigerian health-tech firm HubPharm Africa won the $30,000 prize. Climate Diplomacy: Cabo Verde’s ambassador co-facilitated negotiations on the UN’s new sea-level-rise declaration, which addresses legal questions facing island states threatened by rising seas. Digital Connectivity: Cabo Verde Telecom and DE-CIX are exploring a South Atlantic data corridor linking Lisbon and São Paulo. The proposed route could improve connectivity between West Africa, Europe and Latin America and reduce reliance on northern hubs.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new interconnection corridor linking Lisbon and São Paulo, aiming to improve data exchange across Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America and reduce reliance on northern hubs. Climate Law & Sea-Level Rise: A UN Sea Level Rise Declaration adopted at the General Assembly creates shared legal clarity for at-risk island states; Cabo Verde’s ambassador is cited as a key negotiator, while UK and other voices push for turning commitments into real protection. COP31 Prep in the Pacific: World powers are meeting in Fiji (Oct 5–8) to set the agenda for COP31 in Turkey, with Pacific leaders urging stronger 1.5°C focus and faster climate finance for adaptation. Public Health Alert: Bangladesh’s measles outbreak has reportedly killed nearly 900, highlighting how vaccination gaps and hesitancy can quickly trigger major crises. Health Security at Sea: A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius tested medical readiness and response as cases were identified and managed across multiple ports, including near Cape Verde. ECOWAS Youth Tech & Health: ECOWAS Startup Awards crowned Nigeria’s HubPharm Africa with a $30,000 prize, while ECOWAS also plans youth-only election observers for Nigeria’s 2027 vote. Air Quality Warning: A new analysis says almost 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in 2026, driven by heat and pollution.

Aviation & Mobility: SkyDrive teamed up with Kansai partners including MUFG Bank to study commercial eVTOL operations and the operational framework for Western Japan after successful SD-05 demo flights at Expo 2025 Osaka. Climate Law & Resilience: A UN Sea Level Rise Declaration was adopted, with Cabo Verde’s ambassador among key facilitators, aiming to clarify legal continuity for inundated states and strengthen international stability. Connectivity for Cabo Verde: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, improving data routes for West Africa and Latin America. Public Health: Bangladesh reported nearly 900 suspected measles deaths, underscoring how vaccination gaps and hesitancy can quickly trigger outbreaks. Health & Safety on the Move: A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius highlighted how labs, WHO guidance, and rapid evacuations near Cape Verde shaped outbreak control. ECOWAS & Youth Tech: ECOWAS plans youth-only election observers for Nigeria’s 2027 vote, with Cabo Verde also flagged for future rollout. Air Quality: A new analysis warns almost 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in early 2026, driven by heat and pollution.

Engineering Capacity for Africa: China says it will train 10,000 engineers from developing countries over five years, focusing on transport infrastructure and ICT—an effort framed as key to sustainable development. Sea-Level Risk & Law: A UN-backed Sea Level Rise Declaration highlights shared approaches for states facing rising seas, with Cabo Verde named among drafters and science-based language aimed at protecting vulnerable countries under international law. Climate Negotiations in the Pacific: World powers head to Fiji for talks ahead of COP31 in Turkey, with Pacific leaders pushing for the 1.5°C goal, more climate finance, and stronger focus on ocean impacts. Cabo Verde Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom plan a South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo to improve data routes and resilience. Health Security: A hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius is reviewed as a test of medical readiness and response coordination across multiple countries. Ozone Alert: New Copernicus analysis finds nearly 40% of the world exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in 2026, driven by heat and pollution. ECOWAS Innovation: ECOWAS Startup Awards in Abuja crowned HubPharm Africa with a $30,000 prize, with Cape Verde’s Afrikan Coders among top finalists.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new Lisbon–São Paulo interconnection corridor, aiming to route more data through the South Atlantic for better performance and resilience. Climate Diplomacy: World powers are sending delegates to Pacific talks (Oct 5–8) to set the agenda for COP31 in Turkey, with sea-level rise and ocean impacts front and center. Sea-Level Rise Law: A UN Sea Level Rise Declaration gained consensus, backing shared approaches and protections for states facing rising seas, with Cabo Verde named among key drafters. Ozone & Health: A new Copernicus analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in 2026 so far, driven by heat and pollution. ECOWAS Innovation: ECOWAS Startup Awards in Abuja crowned Nigeria’s HubPharm Africa with a $30,000 prize, with Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde among top finalists. Digital/Health Tech in the Region: ECOWAS also plans youth-only election observers for Nigeria’s 2027 vote, including Cabo Verde in later rollouts. Wildlife Tech: Panthera deployed 300+ camera traps in western Tanzania, collecting 150,000+ images and flagging rare wildlife sightings and changing lion numbers.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new Lisbon–São Paulo interconnection corridor, aiming to route data more directly between Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America for better resilience and performance. ECOWAS Youth in Elections: ECOWAS says it will deploy youth-only election observers for Nigeria’s 2027 vote, after pilots in Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, with Cabo Verde and The Gambia also in the plan. Health-Tech Spotlight: HubPharm Africa won the 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards in Abuja, taking a $30,000 prize; Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde also made the top finalists. Climate Diplomacy in the Pacific: World powers are meeting in Fiji (Oct 5–8) to set the course for COP31 in Turkey, with sea-level rise and a major adaptation finance gap front and center. Air Pollution Watch: A Copernicus analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in 2026 so far, with Asia hit hardest. Panthera Camera-Trap Findings: Over 300 camera traps in western Tanzania (area about the size of Cape Verde) produced 150,000+ images, including rare serval patterns and new records for several species. African Unity Interview: Professor Hakim Adi discusses today’s Pan-African struggle and sovereignty debates in an interview tied to current US policy and far-right influence. Sports Recognition: CAVB honoured Nigeria’s volleyball figure Engineer Habu Gumel during a congress in Cabo Verde for decades of service.

South Atlantic connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to route data more directly between Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America and reduce reliance on Northern hubs. Climate diplomacy in the spotlight: As COP31 nears, Turkey and Australia face fresh criticism over hosting the talks while still tied to coal, with Pacific leaders pushing for stronger action on fossil fuels and climate finance. Ozone and air quality warning: A Copernicus analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in early 2026, with heat and pollution driving widespread “Poor” to “Extremely Poor” conditions. ECOWAS youth elections: ECOWAS plans youth-only election observers for Nigeria’s 2027 vote, with Cabo Verde also flagged for future observer deployments. Health tech in the region: HubPharm Africa won the 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards, beating finalists including Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde. Wildlife monitoring tech: Panthera deployed 300+ custom camera traps across western Tanzania (area about the size of Cape Verde), capturing 150,000+ images and rare serval patterns plus new records of several species.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to cut reliance on Northern routes and boost resilience for data flows across Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America. Climate Diplomacy: World powers are meeting in Fiji (Oct 5–8) to set the agenda for COP31 in Turkey, with Pacific leaders pushing for the 1.5°C target, more climate finance, and stronger focus on ocean impacts as sea levels rise fast. Air Quality Watch: A Copernicus analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in early 2026, with Asia hit hardest and Europe also seeing widespread poor air. Health & Global Policy: The US and EU rejected a UN pandemic-preparedness declaration, keeping the door open for later UN votes while raising fresh concerns over vaccine and diagnostic access. ECOWAS Tech & Startups: ECOWAS Startup Awards crowned Nigeria’s HubPharm Africa, with Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde among the top finalists, highlighting regional health-tech momentum.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to cut reliance on Northern routes and boost resilience for data flows across Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America. ECOWAS Youth Democracy: ECOWAS says it will deploy youth-only election observers for Nigeria’s 2027 vote, after pilots in Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, with plans to extend the model to elections including Cabo Verde. Climate Diplomacy in the Pacific: World powers will meet in Fiji (Oct 5–8) to set the agenda for COP31 in Turkey, with Pacific leaders pushing for 1.5°C, more climate finance, and stronger focus on ocean impacts as sea levels rise. Ozone and Heat Risk: A Copernicus analysis finds nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in early 2026, with Asia worst hit. Health Tech & Startups: HubPharm Africa won the 2nd ECOWAS Startup Awards, taking a $30,000 prize, while Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde also made the top five. Tech & Infrastructure: EllaLink launched its Caribbean Gateway initiative, moving from design to committed investment for a submarine cable system targeted for service by end-2029. Visa Policy Watch: The US State Department expanded a B1/B2 visa bond requirement to 50 countries, with 30 African nations affected. Wildlife Monitoring: Over 300 camera traps in western Tanzania (area about the size of Cape Verde) captured 150,000 images, including rare serval patterns and new records for several species. Storm Update: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages and flooding to Cabo Verde before weakening and dissipating.

Climate Diplomacy: World powers are meeting in Nadi, Fiji (Oct 5–8) to set the agenda for COP31 in Turkey, with Pacific leaders pushing for the 1.5°C goal, more climate finance, and stronger focus on ocean impacts as sea levels rise fast and adaptation funding remains far short of needs. Public Health & Policy: The US and EU have rejected a UN pandemic-preparedness declaration, keeping the door open for later UN votes while reigniting disputes over pathogen-sharing and intellectual property. Connectivity for Cabo Verde: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom plan a South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to route data more directly for West Africa and Latin America. Digital & Health Tech in the Region: ECOWAS Startup Awards crowned Nigeria’s HubPharm Africa, with Cape Verde’s Afrikan Coders also among the top finalists. Environment & Air Quality: A new analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in early 2026, driven by heat and pollution. Storm Impacts: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages, flooding, and at least one missing person to Cabo Verde before weakening and dissipating.

Connectivity & Cabo Verde: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to route data more directly between Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America and reduce reliance on Northern hubs. Climate Diplomacy: World powers are meeting in Fiji (Oct 5–8) to set the agenda for COP31 in Turkey, with Pacific leaders pushing for the 1.5°C goal, better climate finance, and stronger focus on ocean impacts as sea levels rise fast. Air Quality: A Copernicus CAMS analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population was exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in 2026 so far, with Asia hit hardest. Wildlife Tech: Panthera deployed 300+ custom camera traps across western Tanzania (area about the size of Cape Verde), capturing 150,000+ images and recording rare serval patterns plus new regional records. Health & Policy: The US and EU rejected a UN pandemic-preparedness declaration, keeping disagreements over surveillance, labs and access to vaccines/diagnostics on the table. Storm Impact (Cabo Verde): Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages and flooding to the islands, with fishing vessels lost and one person reported missing.

South Atlantic connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to route more data through the South Atlantic and cut reliance on Northern hubs. Climate & oceans: World powers are meeting in Fiji (Nadi) ahead of COP31 in Turkey, with island nations pushing for stronger 1.5°C focus, ocean protection, and climate finance as sea-level rise accelerates. Public health diplomacy: The US and EU rejected a UN pandemic-preparedness declaration, keeping the text from consensus and sharpening the debate over pathogen sharing and vaccine access. Air quality warning: A new Copernicus analysis says nearly 40% of the world’s population has been exposed to harmful ground-level ozone in 2026 so far, driven by heat and pollution. Wildlife tech in action: Over 300 custom camera traps in western Tanzania captured 150,000+ images, including rare serval patterns and new records—showing how field tech can guide conservation. ECOWAS startup spotlight: HubPharm Africa won the ECOWAS Startup Awards, while Afrikan Coders (Cape Verde) made the top five. Tech & industry: EllaLink launched the EllaLink Caribbean Gateway initiative, moving from design to committed investment for a new submarine cable route. Storm impact: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages, flooding, and lost fishing vessels to Cabo Verde before weakening and dissipating.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new Lisbon–São Paulo interconnection corridor, aiming to route more data between Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America with better performance and resilience. Ocean Data Push: At the UN, the OceanEye International Alliance launched to strengthen the Global Ocean Observing System, with the EU pledging €92m and Canada C$82m over five years; Cabo Verde is listed among participating countries. Climate & Law at the UN: Cabo Verde’s PM Francisco Carvalho helped secure a UN declaration on sea-level rise that backs “continued statehood” even if land is lost, alongside science, funding and coastal livelihood protections. Wildlife Tech in the Field: Panthera’s 300+ custom camera-trap network in western Tanzania (area about the size of Cabo Verde) captured 150,000+ images, including rare serval patterns and new records for several species. Health Tech & Policy: The US and EU rejected a UN pandemic-preparedness declaration, arguing over intellectual property and language on pathogen sharing and access to vaccines/diagnostics. ECOWAS Startup Awards: Afrikan Coders from Cape Verde made the top five, while Nigeria’s HubPharm Africa won the $30,000 star prize. Weather Watch for Cabo Verde: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages and flooding to the Cabo Verde Islands before weakening and dissipating.

South Atlantic connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new Lisbon–São Paulo interconnection corridor, aiming to route more data between Southern Europe, West Africa and Latin America with better resilience and performance, including reciprocal access to DE-CIX interconnection services in Frankfurt, Madrid, Marseille, New York and São Paulo. Ocean monitoring push: The OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System was launched at the UN in New York, with the EU pledging €92M and Canada C$82M over five years, plus broader support from 30+ partners—backing sensors, vessels and data systems used for weather, climate and coastal protection. Sea-level rights at the UN: A UN General Assembly declaration adopted by consensus affirms a “presumption in favour of continued statehood” for countries threatened by rising seas, with Cabo Verde’s PM Francisco Carvalho among co-facilitators. Storm impacts in Cabo Verde: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages, flooding and a missing person report before weakening and dissipating, underscoring ongoing weather risks for the islands. Wildlife science via camera traps: A Tanzania study used 300+ custom camera traps across an area about the size of Cape Verde, generating 150,000+ images and rare records, including unusual serval patterns and new sightings of several elusive species.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new South Atlantic interconnection corridor linking Lisbon to São Paulo, aiming to cut reliance on Northern Europe/North America hubs and improve resilience for data exchange. Ocean Data Push: The OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) was launched at the UN, with the EU adding €92m and Canada pledging C$82m over five years to expand ocean monitoring via sensors, drones, vessels and data systems—Cabo Verde is among the joining partners. Climate & Sovereignty at the UN: Cabo Verde helped secure a UN declaration affirming a “presumption in favour of continued statehood” for countries threatened by sea-level rise, backing legal and financial protections for small islands. Storm Impact in Cabo Verde: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages, flooding and a missing person to the Cabo Verde Islands before weakening and dissipating. Wildlife Tech in Africa: Over 300 custom camera traps in western Tanzania captured 150,000+ images, including rare serval patterns and new records—showing how field tech is accelerating biodiversity monitoring.

South Atlantic Connectivity: DE-CIX and Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) signed a Letter of Intent to explore a new Lisbon–São Paulo interconnection corridor, aiming to cut reliance on Northern Europe/North America hubs and boost resilience for intercontinental data exchange. Ocean Monitoring Funding: The OceanEye International Alliance for the Global Ocean Observing System launched at the UN, with Canada pledging C$82m over five years and the EU adding €92m, targeting data gaps, coordination hubs, and better ocean forecasting for safety and climate resilience. Climate & Sovereignty: At the UN, Cabo Verde helped secure a declaration on sea-level rise that supports “continued statehood” even as land is threatened, alongside stronger science, shared data, and early warning. Wildlife Tech in Action: Over 300 custom camera traps in western Tanzania captured 150,000+ images, including rare serval patterns and new records for species—showing how large-scale sensing can sharpen conservation decisions. Storm Impacts Near Cabo Verde: Tropical Storm Gonzalo brought heavy rain, outages, flooding, and a missing person report to the Cabo Verde Islands before weakening and dissipating.