US Places Nigeria on Child Soldiers List, Warns of Possible Military Aid Restrictions

The United States has placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list, a designation that could restrict certain forms of American military assistance, weapons sales and defence financing unless President Donald Trump grants a waiver or an applicable exception is invoked.

The designation was contained in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, published on October 11, 2026, covering the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

Nigeria was among 14 countries named in the report, alongside Afghanistan, Myanmar, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen.

The report identified Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as armed groups that continue to recruit, abduct and use children in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

US Warns of Possible Restrictions on Military Assistance

Under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, countries on the list may face restrictions on certain forms of security assistance and commercial licences for military equipment. The affected programmes can include International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excess Defence Articles, certain peacekeeping assistance and licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment.

The restrictions are scheduled to apply from October 1, 2026, during the relevant US fiscal year, unless a presidential waiver or applicable statutory exception is granted.

The designation does not automatically terminate every aspect of US-Nigeria defence cooperation. Its practical effect will depend on the assistance involved and any applicable waiver or exception.

The development comes as Nigeria and the United States continue security cooperation against terrorism and other threats, particularly in the country's North-East.

Report Cites Recruitment of Children by Armed Groups

According to the State Department, Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to recruit, abduct and use children, some as young as 12, in a range of roles.

The report said children were used as combatants, spies, porters, messengers, cooks, guards and domestic workers. It also documented the use of children in suicide attacks and alleged that some were subjected to physical and sexual abuse and forced drug use.

The report further described the abduction of women and girls by Boko Haram and their exploitation in forced marriage, sexual slavery and forced labour.

These findings were attributed to armed groups operating in Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. Nigeria’s inclusion on the CSPA list should not be interpreted, by itself, as proof that the Nigerian government recruited or used child soldiers.

US Report Raises Concerns Over Human Trafficking

Beyond the child-soldier designation, the report said Nigeria had failed to meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking for the 15th consecutive year, although it acknowledged that the government continued to make efforts to address the problem.

According to the report, Nigerian authorities investigated 1,341 trafficking cases involving 1,367 suspects. The cases included 589 sex-trafficking investigations, 301 forced-labour investigations and 451 cases in which the type of trafficking was not specified.

The report recorded 94 prosecutions and 97 convictions during the reporting period.

It also raised concerns about official complicity in trafficking crimes, stating that the government did not report investigations, prosecutions or convictions of government employees allegedly involved in trafficking, or provide details of action taken against implicated officials in previous years.

The State Department cited reports alleging that some law enforcement, military and other government personnel committed trafficking offences, accepted bribes to facilitate trafficking or interfered with investigations. These allegations were presented as findings and reports cited by the US government, rather than as proof that all officials or institutions were involved.

Victim Assistance Falls Despite Increased Funding

The report said authorities identified 2,004 trafficking victims during the reporting period, comprising 893 victims of sex trafficking and 1,111 victims of forced labour.

However, only 675 victims received government-supported assistance, compared with 2,058 in the previous reporting period.

The State Department also criticised conditions in some shelters operated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). It said restrictions on residents’ freedom of movement affected children’s access to school and raised concerns that access to some services was linked to victims’ willingness to cooperate with law enforcement.

The report further noted that adults who declined shelter accommodation were not provided with alternative services and that only one dedicated non-governmental organisation shelter was available for adult male trafficking survivors.

Despite these concerns, the US government acknowledged increases in Nigeria’s reported spending on victim services and prevention programmes. It also noted that Nigerian authorities coordinated the repatriation of 428 Nigerians exploited abroad, secured restitution for 14 victims through criminal sentences and maintained anti-trafficking task forces in 23 states.

Report Highlights Other Forms of Exploitation

The report also identified concerns involving forced labour, fraudulent recruitment, illegal baby factories and the exploitation of foreign nationals in organised online scams.

It said criminal networks had recruited foreigners to Nigeria with promises of employment, then confined them in rented properties and forced them to participate in online fraud schemes.

The report also raised concerns about the recruitment of Nigerians to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, including allegations that Russian authorities had fraudulently recruited Nigerians. It questioned the promotion of Russia’s Alabuga Start programme by Nigeria’s Ministry of Education despite warning signs cited in the report.

Other concerns included possible exploitative working conditions affecting North Korean nationals in Nigeria and the continued operation of so-called baby factories, where women are allegedly detained and forced to give birth to children who are subsequently sold.

Implications for Nigeria

Nigeria’s inclusion on the CSPA list places additional scrutiny on the country’s efforts to protect children from recruitment by armed groups and to combat human trafficking.

The potential consequences for military assistance will depend on the application of US law, including any presidential waiver or applicable exception. The listing also adds to pressure on Nigerian authorities to strengthen investigations, prosecute trafficking offences, improve victim support and address allegations of official complicity.

The State Department’s findings cover the period from April 2025 to March 2026. They represent the US government’s assessment of Nigeria’s performance during that period and do not, on their own, establish the outcome of any individual criminal investigation or prosecution.