For a country battling insurgency while relying on international partnerships to strengthen its security forces, the latest development from Washington presents a difficult question: how does Nigeria deepen military cooperation with the United States while facing fresh scrutiny over the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict?
The United States has placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) blacklist, warning that the designation could trigger restrictions on certain forms of military assistance, weapons sales and defence cooperation unless an exemption or waiver applies.
The decision was highlighted in the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, published on October 11, which cited the continued recruitment and use of children by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
According to the report, the assessment covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026. Nigeria was among 14 countries identified under the child soldiers provisions, alongside countries including Russia, Iran, South Sudan and Somalia.
The designation is significant because it places Nigeria’s record on child protection under renewed international scrutiny at a time when the country continues to confront armed groups and pursue security cooperation with foreign partners.
What The Blacklist Could Mean For Nigeria
The US designation carries potential consequences beyond diplomatic criticism.
Under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, countries identified on the list may face restrictions on specified security assistance and the commercial licensing of military equipment.
The report said the restrictions could affect 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 were stated to take effect from October 1, 2026, subject to any applicable presidential waiver, statutory exception or other provision allowing assistance to continue.
This means the listing does not automatically establish that every form of US-Nigeria military cooperation has ended. Its practical impact depends on the assistance involved and whether an exemption or waiver applies.
Nevertheless, any restriction affecting military training, financing or equipment could complicate aspects of Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen its response to insecurity.
The development also raises questions about how the Nigerian government will respond to the concerns outlined in the report and demonstrate progress in protecting children from recruitment and exploitation.
Boko Haram, ISWAP Named In Child Recruitment Allegations
At the centre of the US report are allegations that Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to recruit, abduct and use children in conflict-related activities.
The State Department said children as young as 12 had been used in various roles, including as cooks, domestic workers, spies, porters, messengers, guards and armed combatants. It also reported the use of children in suicide attacks.
According to the report, children subjected to these practices face physical and sexual abuse, forced drug use and other forms of exploitation.
The document further alleged that Boko Haram had abducted women and girls and subjected some to forced marriage, sexual slavery and forced labour. It also described cases in which girls were allegedly compelled to carry out suicide attacks after refusing forced marriages.
These allegations underline the wider human cost of the insurgency, in which children may be deprived of education, family life and the opportunity to grow up free from violence.
However, the report’s identification of armed groups operating in Nigeria should not be confused with a finding that every Nigerian security institution recruits or uses child soldiers. The listing concerns the statutory criteria applied by the United States, while the report also discusses broader trafficking concerns and alleged official complicity.
Report Raises Concerns Over Nigeria’s Anti-Trafficking Record
Beyond the child soldiers designation, the report criticised Nigeria’s performance in combating human trafficking.
It said the country had failed to meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking for the 15th consecutive year.
The State Department also raised concerns about accountability, stating that the government had not reported investigations, prosecutions or convictions of officials allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes during the reporting period.
The report alleged that corruption and official complicity remained significant problems, with some observers reporting that law enforcement, military and other government personnel had committed trafficking-related offences, accepted bribes or interfered with investigations.
These are allegations and assessments contained in the US report; they should not be taken as proof that every official or institution named in the broader discussion was involved in criminal conduct.
The report also pointed to a decline in the number of trafficking victims who received government assistance, from 2,058 in the previous reporting period to 675 in the period under review.
It further criticised conditions in some government-run shelters operated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
According to the assessment, restrictions on residents’ freedom of movement affected access to services, including schooling for children. It also raised concerns about the limited availability of dedicated shelter services for adult male survivors of trafficking.
The findings put pressure on the government to demonstrate that its anti-trafficking institutions can identify victims, protect vulnerable people and ensure that allegations involving public officials are investigated appropriately.
The Difficult Questions Around Child Protection
The issue extends beyond armed groups in the North-East.
The report said criminal gangs in southern Nigeria recruit and exploit children in forced criminality, including kidnappings and robberies, and also exploit some victims in sex trafficking.
It further described forced labour affecting children in agriculture and mining in parts of the country.
These findings point to a wider child-protection challenge involving poverty, insecurity, exploitation and the limited access some vulnerable children have to effective protection services.
For families displaced by conflict, the danger can be especially acute. Children separated from their parents or living in unstable conditions may face heightened risks of recruitment, trafficking and abuse.
The central challenge for the Nigerian authorities is therefore not only to confront armed groups but also to strengthen the systems that prevent children from being exploited, ensure that victims receive appropriate care and hold perpetrators accountable.
US-Nigeria Security Partnership Faces Added Scrutiny
The blacklist comes amid continued security cooperation between Washington and Abuja.
The report’s timing places the designation against the backdrop of efforts by both countries to address terrorism and other security threats in Nigeria.
That relationship creates a delicate balancing act. The United States can continue to regard Nigeria as a security partner while applying restrictions under its laws concerning child soldiers and trafficking.
For Nigeria, the immediate issue is how the government will address the findings, respond to the potential restrictions and demonstrate that children are being protected from recruitment and exploitation.
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The listing also raises a broader question about the relationship between military effectiveness and human rights: can a country build lasting security without ensuring that the most vulnerable people caught in conflict are protected?
What Happens Next?
The consequences of the designation will depend partly on the application of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act and whether the US government grants any relevant waiver or exception.
Nigeria’s response will also matter. Strengthening investigations, improving victim support, addressing credible allegations of official complicity and preventing the recruitment of children could form part of efforts to respond to the concerns raised.
Ultimately, the issue is bigger than a blacklist or a possible reduction in military assistance. It concerns the protection of children whose lives have been disrupted by conflict and exploitation.
For Nigeria, the challenge is to turn international scrutiny into measurable improvements in accountability and child protection while continuing to address the insecurity that has allowed armed groups to prey on vulnerable communities.
The question now is not simply what Washington may restrict, but what concrete steps Abuja will take to ensure that children are kept out of armed conflict and that those responsible for exploiting them face justice.