Child Soldiers: US Threatens Military Aid Restrictions in Nigeria
The US has listed Nigeria over child soldier concerns, threatening possible military aid restrictions linked to the recruitment and use of children by armed groups.
The United States of America has placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act list, a designation that could lead to restrictions on certain forms of American military assistance unless a presidential waiver is granted. The development was reported following the release of the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report.
The report, covering the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, identified Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as armed groups that recruit, abduct and use children in conflict. It said children as young as 12 were used in roles including spying, transporting supplies and participating in armed attacks.
The designation could affect or restrict US military training, military financing, equipment transfers and certain weapons sales to Nigeria. The restrictions are subject to applicable exceptions or a presidential waiver, so the listing does not mean that all American security assistance will stop.
Nigeria was listed alongside 13 other countries under the US Child Soldiers Prevention Act. The report raised wider concerns about human trafficking and victim protection in Nigeria, while the Nigerian authorities had not yet publicly responded to the report at the time of publication.
