US lists Nigeria for child soldier use, warns of military aid cuts under CSPA
The United States's 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, released October 12, 2026, names Nigeria among 14 countries accused of recruiting or using child soldiers during the reporting period from April 1 2025 to March 31 2026. The designation activates the Child Soldiers Prevention Act, which could restrict US international military education and training, foreign military financing, excess defense articles, peacekeeping-operation support, and licenses for direct commercial sales of military equipment unless the president issues a waiver.
The same report keeps Nigeria on Tier 2 for human trafficking, noting that while investigations, prosecutions and convictions rose compared with the previous year, victim assistance fell sharply—only 675 people received help in 2025 versus 2,058 in 2024. It criticizes limited shelter options, pointing to a single NGO shelter for adult male victims and says NAPTIP-run shelters often restrict residents' freedom of movement, with access to services tied to cooperation with law enforcement. Concerns about corruption and alleged official complicity in trafficking crimes were also highlighted.
Will the looming aid cuts compel Nigeria to tighten its child-soldier prevention laws and expand trafficking victim services, or will a presidential waiver preserve the current flow of US military assistance?