US Blacklists Nigeria Over Child Soldiers, Warns of Possible Military Aid Restrictions

Washington cites Boko Haram and ISWAP recruitment of children as young as 12, raises concerns over trafficking prosecutions

By Henryrich Ojo | Newsworld

The United States has placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act blacklist, warning that the designation could trigger restrictions on certain military assistance, defence equipment sales and security cooperation from October 1, 2026, unless a presidential waiver or applicable exception is granted. The designation was disclosed in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, published on October 11, which covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

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According to the report, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to recruit, abduct and use children in conflict-related activities in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The United States listed Nigeria among 14 countries identified under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, alongside countries including Russia, Iran, South Sudan and Somalia.

The report stated that Boko Haram and ISWAP recruit and use children as young as 12 as messengers, cooks, porters, spies, guards and armed combatants, with some reportedly forced to participate in suicide bombings. It also documented the abduction and exploitation of women and girls, including forced labour, forced marriage and sexual slavery.

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 some government efforts. The number of trafficking victims who received government assistance reportedly fell from 2,058 in the previous reporting period to 675. The report also criticised the government’s failure to report investigations, prosecutions or convictions of officials allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes, describing corruption and official complicity as continuing concerns.

It further raised questions about conditions in some shelters operated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), including restrictions on residents’ freedom of movement and access to education.

Under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, countries on the list may face restrictions on International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excess Defence Articles, certain peacekeeping assistance and licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment. The report said the restrictions would apply during the relevant fiscal period unless a presidential waiver, statutory exception or other authorised relief applied.

The development comes amid ongoing security cooperation between Washington and Abuja in efforts to combat terrorism and insurgency. However, the report’s designation does not, by itself, establish that all US-Nigeria defence cooperation will automatically end; the actual impact will depend on the applicable restrictions and any exemptions or waivers. The Nigerian government’s response to the latest findings was not included in the material available for this report.