Nigeria Debt Watch: Nigeria’s total public debt stock rose 4.67% to N166.79trn as of June 30, 2026, with domestic debt leading at N91.59trn and external at N75.20trn, spotlighting fiscal pressure and state-level exposure. Critical Minerals Strategy: A Nigerian energy executive warned against repeating the crude-oil playbook by exporting raw critical minerals, urging domestic processing and manufacturing value chains instead. US Fuel & Markets: Talk of a potential U.S. diesel export ban is widening the gap between WTI and Brent, with analysts warning refiners could cut runs and that higher gasoline prices may follow. Energy Infrastructure Politics: Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s Ratepayer Protection Act would stop large data centers from shifting grid expansion costs onto households and small businesses. AI in Business Ops: Google is testing “Call for Me,” letting Gemini place calls to businesses, navigate menus, and handle tasks like reservations—while users can monitor and take over. Tourism & Growth: Nigeria’s tourism leadership urged AI-driven innovation to modernize hospitality, while a GCC report said tourism value hit about $254.7bn in 2025 with 4.5m jobs. Corporate Moves: National Fuel Gas outlined a plan to separate its upstream and regulated utility businesses, aiming for clearer valuation and growth focus. Local Business Resilience: Port Nelson posted $12.7m underlying profit and declared a dividend, despite a revaluation-driven comprehensive loss.