The United States has placed Nigeria on a child soldiers watchlist, raising the possibility of restrictions on military assistance, arms sales and defence cooperation over the recruitment of children by armed groups.
The designation, outlined in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, could affect American security support to Nigeria unless President Donald Trump grants a waiver allowing assistance to continue.
The report identified Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as armed groups responsible for recruiting, abducting and exploiting children, some as young as 12.
According to the findings, children have been used as fighters, intelligence operatives, messengers, porters and guards in areas affected by insurgent violence.
Under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, countries included on the list face potential restrictions on US military training, foreign military financing, transfers of surplus defence equipment and certain weapons export licences.
The measures apply to the US fiscal year beginning October 1, although presidential waivers and legal exemptions could allow some military cooperation to continue.
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The designation comes as Washington and Abuja maintain security cooperation aimed at combating armed groups operating across northeastern Nigeria.
Beyond the child soldier concerns, the State Department criticised Nigeria’s wider record on combating human trafficking, saying the government continued to fall short of international minimum standards despite efforts to address the problem.
The report recorded 1,341 trafficking investigations, 94 prosecutions and 97 convictions during the reporting period.
Of the 2,004 trafficking victims identified, 675 received government-supported assistance, highlighting continuing gaps in protection services.
US officials also raised concerns about alleged corruption and official involvement in trafficking, citing the absence of reported investigations or prosecutions of implicated government personnel.
However, Washington acknowledged improvements, including increased funding for victim assistance, expanded prevention programmes, cooperation with international law enforcement agencies and efforts to repatriate Nigerians exploited overseas.
Nigeria previously appeared on the Child Soldiers Prevention Act list between 2015 and 2018 and again in 2020 and 2021. Earlier US administrations granted waivers that permitted military assistance and arms transfers to continue.
