US Lists Nigeria Over Child Soldier Recruitment, Military Aid Faces 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, including training, defence financing and equipment sales, over concerns about the recruitment and use of children by armed groups.

The development was reported in the US Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, which identified Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as groups that continue to recruit, abduct and use children in armed activities in Nigeria.

The assessment covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, according to reports by Nigerian media organisations, including Premium Times and The Punch.

Nigeria was listed alongside other countries facing scrutiny under the American law, which provides for restrictions on specified categories of military assistance to governments identified as having armed forces, security forces or government-supported armed groups that recruit or use child soldiers.

Under the law, the restrictions can affect International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excess Defence Articles and certain peacekeeping assistance. The law also restricts licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment, subject to applicable exceptions and presidential waivers.

The designation does not mean that all military assistance to Nigeria has automatically been stopped. The extent of any restrictions depends on the applicable legal provisions, exceptions and any waiver granted by the US president.

According to the reported findings, Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to recruit, abduct and exploit children as young as 12 in Nigeria and other countries affected by their activities.

The children are reportedly forced into different roles, including cooking, domestic work, spying, carrying messages, guarding checkpoints and participating in combat.

The recruitment and exploitation of children by the two armed groups have been longstanding concerns in Nigeria’s North-East, where the insurgency has caused deaths, displacement and widespread disruption to communities.

The reported designation focuses on the use of children in armed conflict. Nigeria’s inclusion on the list should not, however, be interpreted as proof that the Nigerian military itself recruits or uses child soldiers.

The designation could complicate aspects of Nigeria’s security cooperation with the United States, particularly where American military training, financing and equipment transfers fall within the categories covered by the law.

Nigeria has continued to confront insurgent violence in the North-East, with Boko Haram and ISWAP among the armed groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security personnel.

Any restrictions on eligible military assistance could therefore have implications for programmes supporting Nigeria’s security operations, depending on which forms of assistance are affected and whether exemptions or waivers apply.

However, the listing alone does not establish that specific Nigerian military programmes have been cancelled or that the United States has ended its broader security relationship with Nigeria.

The legal framework allows for presidential waivers and certain exceptions. Consequently, the practical impact of the designation will depend on decisions taken by the US administration and the precise assistance involved.

The reported US assessment also raised concerns about Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

According to the accounts published by Nigerian media, the report found that Nigeria had failed to meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking for the 15th consecutive year.

It also raised concerns about alleged official complicity in trafficking offences and the number of victims receiving government assistance.

The reported figures indicated that 675 trafficking victims received government assistance during the assessment period, compared with 2,058 in the preceding reporting period.

The report also criticised aspects of government-run shelters, including restrictions on residents’ freedom of movement that could affect children’s access to education.

These findings concern Nigeria’s broader anti-trafficking response and should be distinguished from the specific legal basis for its inclusion on the Child Soldiers Prevention Act list.

The Punch reported that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), through its Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoye, said the agency would make its response to the report public.

The newspaper also reported that the Presidency’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had not responded to its requests for comments at the time of publication.

No further official response from the Nigerian government has been independently established in this report.

Nigeria’s inclusion on the list places renewed attention on the protection of children in conflict areas, the prevention of recruitment by armed groups and the country’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

The immediate consequences for US military assistance will depend on the implementation of the applicable restrictions and whether the American administration grants a waiver or applies a legal exception.