Nigeria could face restrictions on US military assistance following its inclusion on a blacklist of countries accused of recruiting or using child soldiers, amid fresh concerns over human trafficking, official complicity and inadequate support for victims.
The United States Department of State, in its 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, identified Nigeria among 14 countries listed under the Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA), warning that the designation could affect military training, foreign military financing, weapons transfers and other defence cooperation.
The restrictions are scheduled to take effect from October 1, 2026, unless President Donald Trump grants a waiver or an applicable exception is invoked.
The report, published on October 11 and covering the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, attributed the continued recruitment and exploitation of children in Nigeria to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Other countries named in the child soldiers listing include Russia, Iran, Somalia, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen.
The latest assessment also found that Nigeria had failed to meet the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking for 15 consecutive years, despite increased government spending on victim support and prevention programmes.
According to the State Department, countries listed under the CSPA may lose access to International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excess Defence Articles and certain peacekeeping assistance. The law also restricts licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment to listed governments, subject to applicable exceptions and presidential waivers.
The designation comes as Nigeria and the US continue to cooperate on security matters, including counterterrorism efforts in the northeast and implementation of a bilateral 2026 Defence Cooperation Roadmap.
Children used as fighters, spies and suicide bombers
The report accused Boko Haram and ISWAP of continuing to recruit, abduct and deploy children as young as 12 in various capacities, ranging from domestic workers and messengers to armed combatants and suicide bombers.
It said the children were also used as cooks, porters, spies, bodyguards and guards at checkpoints, while some were subjected to physical and sexual abuse and forced drug use.
The report stated that the groups operated across Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, exploiting children in activities linked to their insurgency.
It also raised concerns over the abduction and exploitation of women and girls in northern Nigeria, particularly through forced marriage, domestic servitude, forced labour and sexual slavery.
According to the document, Boko Haram had kidnapped thousands of women and girls and forced many into marriages with its members. Girls who resisted marriage were reportedly punished, including through forced participation in suicide attacks.
The report further alleged that some victims of forced marriage were compelled by Nigerian authorities to return to their Boko Haram husbands at demobilisation centres in Borno State.
Outside the northeast, criminal gangs in southern Nigeria were accused of recruiting children for kidnapping, robbery and other forced criminal activities, as well as exploiting them in sex trafficking.
In the northwest, the report said criminal networks exploited victims through forced labour in agriculture and mining.
No reported prosecutions of complicit officials
The State Department expressed concern over the alleged involvement of public officials in trafficking offences, noting that the Nigerian government did not report investigations, prosecutions or convictions of government employees allegedly complicit in such crimes during the period under review.
It also said authorities failed to provide details of measures taken against officials implicated in previous years.
“Corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remained significant concerns,” the report stated.
The document cited accounts from observers alleging that some law enforcement personnel, military officers and other public officials committed trafficking offences, accepted bribes to facilitate exploitation or interfered with investigations.
The findings raise questions about accountability within institutions responsible for enforcing anti-trafficking laws and protecting vulnerable populations.
Nevertheless, the report acknowledged that Nigerian authorities recorded some law enforcement successes during the year.
They investigated 1,341 trafficking cases, comprising 589 sex trafficking cases, 301 forced labour cases and 451 cases that were not categorised.
The investigations involved 1,367 suspects. Authorities prosecuted 94 people and secured 97 convictions.
The US noted that most convicted traffickers received prison sentences of at least one year.
It also recognised improved cooperation between Nigerian authorities and foreign governments, including international investigations conducted across West Africa and Southeast Asia in collaboration with INTERPOL.
Victim assistance declines sharply
The report highlighted a substantial reduction in the number of trafficking victims who received government-supported assistance.
Although authorities identified 2,004 victims during the reporting period, only 675 received government-supported services, compared with 2,058 in the previous reporting period.
The victims identified included 893 survivors of sex trafficking and 1,111 victims of forced labour.
The State Department also questioned the conditions under which victims were accommodated in shelters operated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
It said the agency's closed-shelter policy restricted residents' freedom of movement, including children's access to school.
The report further alleged that some protection services were tied to victims' willingness to participate in law enforcement proceedings.
Adults who declined shelter accommodation were reportedly not offered alternative services, while only one dedicated non-governmental organisation shelter was available for adult male trafficking survivors.
The findings suggest that gaps remain in victim protection even as the government continues to investigate trafficking cases and prosecute offenders.
Concerns over recruitment into Russia
The report also raised concerns about the exploitation of Nigerians through fraudulent recruitment schemes linked to foreign criminal networks.
It alleged that Russian authorities fraudulently recruited Nigerians to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
It further claimed that Nigeria's Ministry of Education helped promote Russia's Alabuga Start programme despite warning signs surrounding the initiative.
The State Department did not limit its concerns to Nigerians recruited abroad. It also reported that organised foreign criminal syndicates were luring foreign nationals to Nigeria with promises of employment before confining them in rented properties and forcing them to participate in online scams.
The report additionally raised concerns that North Korean nationals working in Nigeria might be operating under conditions indicative of forced labour.
On labour trafficking, the US criticised Nigeria for failing to prohibit worker-paid recruitment fees and for not reporting civil or criminal action against labour recruiters involved in fraudulent recruitment.
It also said labour inspectors did not receive specialised training on child labour and human trafficking, while diplomatic personnel were not provided with anti-trafficking training.
Baby factories remain a concern
The report identified so-called baby factories as another feature of Nigeria's human trafficking problem, particularly in the southern part of the country.
These establishments, often disguised as orphanages, maternity homes or religious centres, are alleged to hold women against their will, subject them to sexual abuse and force them to give birth to children who are subsequently sold.
The State Department described the operations as a documented aspect of the country's trafficking landscape.
US acknowledges increased government spending
Despite its criticism, the report acknowledged increased allocations by the Nigerian government for anti-trafficking interventions.
Funding for victim services rose from N128 million to N233 million, while expenditure on prevention increased from N58.8 million to N245 million.
The government also coordinated the repatriation of 428 Nigerians exploited abroad, secured restitution for 14 victims through criminal sentences and maintained anti-trafficking task forces in 23 states.
Nigeria remains a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking.
The country last secured Tier 1 status, the highest classification in the US assessment, in 2011. Since then, its ranking has moved between Tier 1, Tier 2 and the Tier 2 Watch List.
The latest CSPA designation could complicate aspects of Nigeria's military relationship with Washington if no waiver or applicable exception is granted.
However, the extent of any restrictions will depend on the specific assistance programmes affected and the application of the relevant provisions of US law.
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