UEMOA expands scholarships and digital summit while Morocco urges Atlantic African maritime cooperation

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) has opened applications for its 2026‑2029 Excellence Scholarship Programme, offering ten fully funded students from each member state, including Togo, coverage from licence to doctorate, health specialisation, monthly stipends, travel expenses and up to 5 million FCFA for doctoral research. The programme also encourages female applicants under its gender strategy.

On 13 July 2026 the Inter‑parliamentary Committee of UEMOA convened in Niamey under interim president Fononna Cheick Ahmed Coulibaly to review the mid‑term 2026 budget, the 2027 budget proposal and the Vision UEMOA 2040 and IMPACT 2030 strategies for inclusive growth.

Niger announced it will host the 5th edition of the SIPEN‑UEMOA International Digital Economy Salon, following a hand‑over ceremony in Ouagadougou, signalling a push for deeper digital integration across the Union.

Separately, Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, speaking in Cotonou, called on Atlantic African states to cooperate on maritime safety, green logistics corridors and sustainable energy transitions, warning that disruptions such as the Strait of Hormuz closure threaten food security and urging joint governance of maritime chokepoints, anti‑piracy measures and blue‑economy development.