The United States has placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list, warning that the designation could trigger restrictions on military training, foreign military financing, weapons sales and other defence cooperation unless President Donald Trump grants a waiver.
The development follows the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, which raised concerns over the continued recruitment and use of children by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), alongside widespread human trafficking and alleged exploitation of vulnerable people.
Published on October 11, 2026, the report covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, and assesses Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking.
Nigeria was among 14 countries listed under the CSPA, alongside Russia, Iran, South Sudan and Somalia.
The potential restrictions 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 measures are expected to take effect from October 1, 2026, subject to a presidential waiver, an applicable exception or other relief permitted by law.
The report said the US designation drew on several sources, including observations by American government personnel, United Nations agencies, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and media reports.
The development comes amid continuing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, including joint counterterrorism efforts and the implementation of a bilateral defence cooperation roadmap.
Children as Young as 12 Used by Armed Groups
The State Department identified Boko Haram and ISWAP as groups continuing to recruit, abduct and exploit children, including through force, fraud and coercion.
According to the report, children as young as 12 are used as cooks, domestic workers, spies, porters, messengers, bodyguards, checkpoint guards and armed combatants, as well as suicide bombers in attacks across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
The children are reportedly subjected to physical and sexual abuse, alongside forced drug use.
The report also highlighted the abduction and exploitation of women and girls in northern Nigeria, including through forced labour, domestic servitude, sexual slavery and forced marriage.
It alleged that Boko Haram had abducted thousands of women and girls, forcing some into marriages with its fighters and subjecting others to sexual slavery and labour exploitation.
In southern Nigeria, criminal gangs were accused of recruiting children for forced criminal activities, including kidnapping and robbery, while also exploiting victims in sex trafficking.
In the North-West, criminal gangs were reportedly exploiting victims in forced labour in agriculture and mining.
Nigeria Fails to Meet Minimum Anti-Trafficking Standards
The report said Nigeria had failed to meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking for the 15th consecutive year, despite some progress in law enforcement and victim support.
It identified corruption and alleged official complicity in trafficking crimes as persistent concerns.
According to the report, Nigerian authorities investigated 1,341 trafficking cases during the reporting period. These comprised 589 sex trafficking cases, 301 forced labour cases and 451 cases involving unspecified forms of trafficking.
The investigations involved 1,367 suspects, while 94 people were prosecuted and 97 traffickers convicted.
The report noted that most convicted offenders received prison sentences of at least one year.
It also acknowledged increased cooperation between Nigerian authorities and foreign governments on international trafficking investigations, including operations across West Africa and South-East Asia conducted in collaboration with INTERPOL.
However, the report said the Nigerian government did not report any investigations, prosecutions or convictions of government employees allegedly involved in trafficking crimes during the reporting period.
It added that observers had reported instances in which law enforcement officers, military personnel and other public officials allegedly committed trafficking offences, accepted bribes to facilitate trafficking or obstructed investigations.
Victim Support Declines Despite Increased Funding
The report raised concerns about a decline in government-supported assistance for trafficking victims, despite an increase in the number of people identified.
It stated that Nigerian authorities identified 2,004 victims, comprising 893 victims of sex trafficking and 1,111 victims of forced labour.
However, only 675 received government-supported assistance, compared with 2,058 in the previous reporting period.
The report criticised conditions in shelters operated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), particularly its closed-shelter policy, which reportedly restricted residents’ freedom of movement and affected children’s access to school.
It also raised concerns that access to some protection services was tied to victims’ willingness to cooperate with law enforcement proceedings.
According to the report, adult victims who declined shelter accommodation were not provided with alternative services, while only one dedicated non-governmental organisation shelter was available for adult male trafficking survivors.
Despite these concerns, the US acknowledged increased Nigerian government allocations for victim support and prevention programmes.
Funding for victim services reportedly rose from ₦128 million to ₦233 million, while prevention spending increased from ₦58.8 million to ₦245 million.
The government also coordinated the repatriation of 428 Nigerians exploited abroad, secured restitution for 14 victims as part of criminal sentences and maintained anti-trafficking task forces in 23 states.
Report Raises Concerns Over Foreign Recruitment and Baby Factories
Beyond child recruitment and domestic trafficking, the report highlighted other forms of exploitation involving Nigerians and foreign nationals.
It alleged that Russian authorities had fraudulently recruited Nigerians to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war. It also claimed that Nigeria’s Ministry of Education had helped promote Russia’s Alabuga Start programme despite warning signs.
The report further raised concerns that North Korean nationals working in Nigeria might be operating under exploitative conditions indicative of forced labour.
It also identified so-called baby factories, often disguised as orphanages, maternity homes or religious centres, as a persistent feature of Nigeria’s trafficking landscape, particularly in the southern part of the country.
On labour trafficking, the report criticised Nigeria for not prohibiting worker-paid recruitment fees, failing to report holding labour recruiters accountable for fraudulent recruitment and not providing specialised training on child labour and human trafficking to labour inspectors.
It added that anti-trafficking training had not been provided to Nigerian diplomatic personnel.
Nigeria has historically moved between Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 2 Watch List classifications in the US State Department’s annual assessment of countries’ efforts to combat human trafficking. The report noted that the country last attained Tier 1 status in 2011.
NAPTIP, Presidency Yet to Respond
When contacted for comments, NAPTIP’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Vincent Adekoye, said the agency would make its response to the report public.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, did not respond to calls and a text message seeking the Presidency’s position.
The potential restrictions under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act could affect aspects of Nigeria’s military training, financing and procurement arrangements with the United States. However, the extent of any measures would depend on applicable waivers, exceptions and other legal provisions.
The designation adds to scrutiny of Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking, protect vulnerable people, hold alleged offenders accountable and prevent armed groups from recruiting and exploiting children.
