By Taibat Ummi Yakubu
Nigeria has been named among 14 countries whose governments the United States says are linked to the recruitment or use of child soldiers, a designation that could affect aspects of the country’s military cooperation with Washington.
The decision, contained in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, places Nigeria on the list established under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA). The designation could trigger restrictions on certain forms of US military assistance and licences for the sale of military equipment from October 1, 2026, unless a presidential waiver or an applicable legal exception is granted.
Other countries on the list are Afghanistan, Burma, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen.
Under Section 402 of the CSPA, the US government identifies countries where national armed forces, security agencies or government-supported armed groups are reported to recruit or use children in military activities. The latest assessment covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
The law provides for restrictions on selected security assistance programmes, including International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing and Excess Defence Articles. It also limits licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment, although waivers and other exceptions may apply.
The potential restrictions could affect aspects of Nigeria’s defence relationship with the United States, particularly military training, financing and access to American military equipment.
The State Department said its assessments draw on information from several sources, including US government personnel, United Nations agencies, international organisations, civil society groups, and local and international media reports.
Under the law, a child soldier includes anyone under 18 who is compulsorily recruited into a country’s armed forces or security services. The definition also covers children recruited or used in hostilities by armed groups distinct from a state’s military.
The scope extends beyond children directly involved in combat. Those used as cooks, porters, messengers, medics and guards are also covered, alongside children subjected to sexual exploitation in connection with armed conflict.
Nigeria’s inclusion comes against the backdrop of the prolonged insurgency in the North-east, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been accused of abducting and recruiting children for combat and support activities.
However, Nigeria’s presence on the list does not, by itself, establish that the Nigerian military or other state security agencies recruit or use child soldiers. The designation identifies the country for the purposes of the US law and may have consequences for certain forms of government assistance.
The listing places renewed pressure on Nigerian authorities to address concerns about the recruitment and exploitation of children in conflict situations, strengthen child-protection measures and demonstrate compliance with international standards governing the protection of children during armed conflict.
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