US blacklists Nigeria over child soldiers, threatens military aid cut

The United States of America has officially placed Nigeria on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) blacklist over the alleged continued recruitment and exploitation of minors by terror groups.

The decision threatens to disrupt foreign military financing, training programmes, and joint defence cooperation between both nations.

The designation originated from the US State Department’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, which made reference to the systemic use of children by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The document revealed that insurgents are forcefully conscripting minors as young as 12 to serve as combatants, suicide bombers, spies, and domestic workers across the Lake Chad region.

The United States government has warned that the designation could lead to severe restrictions on defence cooperation and weapons sales from October 1, 2026.

“The CSPA prohibits assistance to governments that are identified in the list under the following authorities: International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, Excess Defence Articles, and Peacekeeping Operations. The CSPA also prohibits the issuance of licenses for direct commercial sales of military equipment to such governments.”

The report also indicted Nigerian authorities for failing to meet minimum anti-trafficking standards for the 15th consecutive year.

US officials believed that corruption and official complicity remain Nigeria’s institutional hurdles, claiming that the number of rescued trafficking victims receiving government assistance collapsed from 2,058 in the previous year to just 675.

Reacting to the development, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) stated that comprehensive reviews are underway, assuring the public that a formal response will be issued as investigations are ongoing.