US flags Nigeria over child soldiers, baby factories, official complicity

The United States has retained Nigeria on Tier 2 of its 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, saying the country does not fully meet minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking despite making significant efforts.

According to the US Department of State’s 2026 Trafficking in Persons Report, as reported by Vanguard, Nigeria was also placed on the Child Soldiers Prevention Act list alongside 13 other countries.

The report cited corruption, official complicity, weak victim protection and limited prosecution of government officials allegedly involved in trafficking.

“The government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of government employees allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes or provide details or other actions taken against complicit officials from previous years,” it said.

The report also said only 675 trafficking victims received assistance in 2025, compared with 2,058 the previous year.

It added that Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa continued “recruiting, abducting, and using” children as young as 12 in various roles, including as combatants and suicide bombers.