US includes Nigeria in list of nations using child soldiers

The United States has added Nigeria to its 2026 list of countries where governments have armed forces or groups that recruit or use child soldiers. This move could lead to limits on certain US military help and sales of military equipment to Nigeria.

This information is in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. Because of this designation, Nigeria might face limits on some security assistance and military equipment licenses starting from 1 October unless US President Donald Trump waives these restrictions or grants an exception.

Nigeria is one of 14 countries on the 2026 Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list. Other countries on this list include Afghanistan, Burma, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela, and Yemen.

According to Section 402 of the CSPA, the US government identifies foreign governments whose armed forces, police, or supported armed groups are accused of recruiting or using child soldiers. The current assessments cover the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

The law restricts certain types of assistance to these countries, including International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, and Excess Defence Articles. It also limits the issuing of licenses for direct sales of military equipment unless exceptions apply or a waiver is granted by the president.

These restrictions could affect Nigeria’s military relationship with the US, especially in training, funding, and buying US military gear. The State Department mentioned that its conclusion is based on various sources, including US government workers, UN agencies, international organizations, civil society groups, and local and international news reports.

Under the CSPA, a child soldier is anyone under 18 who is forced into government armed forces or security forces. This includes children used in conflicts by groups not part of a state's military. The definition also includes children in support roles like cooks, porters, messengers, medics, guards, or victims of sexual exploitation.

Nigeria’s placement on this list comes amid ongoing worries about the recruitment and exploitation of children in the country’s conflict areas. This is especially true in the North-east, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have kidnapped and recruited children for fighting and support roles.

However, this listing does not confirm that the Nigerian military or security forces actively recruit or use child soldiers. This designation puts pressure on the Nigerian government to tackle issues related to child recruitment and show it is meeting international standards for protecting children in armed conflict.