US Report Flags Nigeria Over Child Soldiers, Baby Factories and Human Trafficking

Nigeria has come under renewed scrutiny from the United States over alleged official complicity in human trafficking, the recruitment of child soldiers and the continued operation of baby factories, according to the 2026 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

The report, released by the US Department of State and covering April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, listed Nigeria among 14 countries associated with the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

It also expressed concern over corruption, inadequate protection for trafficking victims and the failure to report investigations or prosecutions involving government employees allegedly implicated in trafficking offences.

Nigeria, however, retained its Tier 2 status, which applies to countries that do not fully meet the minimum standards of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act but are making significant efforts to address the problem.

The country was also placed on the Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list alongside Afghanistan, Burma, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Iran, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen.

The US State Department said the designation could lead to restrictions on international military education and training, foreign military financing, excess defence articles, peacekeeping operations and licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment.

The restrictions are scheduled to apply from October 1, 2026, unless a presidential waiver is granted.

US Raises Questions Over Accountability of Officials

The report identified corruption and alleged official complicity as major obstacles to Nigeria’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

It faulted the government for failing to provide details of investigations, prosecutions or convictions involving public officials allegedly implicated in trafficking crimes.

“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,” the report stated.

The document also alleged that some trafficking victims, including victims of forced marriage, were pressured to return to their Boko Haram husbands at demobilisation centres in Borno State.

Concerns were also raised about the government’s handling of victims, with the report stating that 675 trafficking victims received assistance in 2025, down from 2,058 in the previous year.

It said assistance remained inadequate, especially for male survivors, and identified only one dedicated NGO shelter for adult male victims during the reporting period.

“NAPTIP’s shelters did not permit shelter residents freedom of movement. The government required victims to cooperate in law enforcement proceedings to access certain protection services,” the report stated.

The US further alleged that adult victims who declined shelter accommodation were not provided with services, potentially exposing them to further exploitation.

“The government did not have a formal policy to prevent the removal of victims to countries where they would face hardship or retribution,” it added.

The report also noted that Nigeria did not report transferring any children associated with non-state armed groups during the latest reporting period, unlike the previous year.

Boko Haram, ISWAP Accused of Recruiting Children

On child recruitment, the report accused Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) of continuing to recruit, abduct and exploit children.

“Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa continue recruiting, abducting, and using, including through force, fraud, and coercion, child soldiers as young as 12 years old as cooks, domestic workers, spies, porters, messengers, bodyguards or guards at checkpoints, morality police, armed combatants, and suicide bombers,” it stated.

The report’s definition of a child soldier covers anyone under 18 who directly participates in hostilities, anyone under 15 who is voluntarily recruited, and anyone under 18 recruited by armed groups distinct from state armed forces for roles such as cooking, carrying supplies, messaging, guarding or sexual exploitation.

The report also criticised Nigeria’s labour protection system, saying the government had not prohibited worker-paid recruitment fees or reported holding labour recruiters civilly and criminally liable for fraudulent recruitment.

It added that labour inspectors had not received specialised training on child labour and human trafficking, while diplomatic personnel had not been provided with anti-trafficking training.

Foreign Networks and Recruitment Schemes Under Scrutiny

The report highlighted the alleged exploitation of foreign nationals by organised criminal networks operating in Nigeria.

According to the document, some syndicates fraudulently recruited foreign victims for work, confined them in rented properties and forced them to participate in organised online scams.

It also raised concerns about foreign recruitment programmes and the alleged exploitation of foreign workers.

“Sources reported Nigeria’s Ministry of Education helped promote Russia’s Alabuga Start program despite red flags,” the report stated.

The document further alleged that Russian authorities fraudulently recruited Nigerians to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.

It also raised concerns that North Korean nationals working in Nigeria might be facing exploitative conditions indicative of forced labour, while Chinese nationals could have been forced to work by the Chinese government.

Baby Factories and Forced Labour Remain Concerns

The report described baby factories as another serious human trafficking concern in Nigeria.

It alleged that operators established facilities disguised as orphanages, maternity homes and religious centres, where women were held against their will, sexually assaulted and forced to carry and deliver children.

The children were subsequently sold, according to the report, which noted that Nigerian authorities and NGOs regarded the practice as a widespread criminal industry, particularly in the southern part of the country.

Beyond baby factories, the report identified trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labour in several sectors, including granite quarries, artisanal mines, domestic service, begging, street vending, textile manufacturing and agriculture.

It also reported the exploitation of adults and children for forced labour on cocoa farms.

Some Quranic school teachers were accused of exploiting boys from rural communities through forced begging and seasonal agricultural work.

The report additionally highlighted the traditional practice of “money marriages”, in which families allegedly give women and girls into forced marriages with older men to settle family debts.

“In some states, families sell women and girls into forced marriages to older men to repay family debt in the traditional practice of ‘money marriages,’” the report stated.

Investigations, Convictions and Funding Increase

Despite the concerns, the US acknowledged that Nigeria had made progress in investigating and prosecuting trafficking offences.

The report said Nigerian authorities investigated 1,341 trafficking cases involving 1,367 suspects in 2025, prosecuted 94 suspects and convicted 97 traffickers.

The figures marked an improvement on the 744 investigations, 71 prosecutions and 49 convictions recorded in 2024.

It added that most convicted traffickers received prison sentences of at least one year.

Government spending on victim support also increased, with N233 million, equivalent to $161,000, allocated to victim services in 2025, compared with N128 million in the previous year.

Funding for prevention rose to N245 million, or $169,000, from N58.8 million in 2024.

The government also established a police cybercrime unit to tackle online scams and worked with foreign governments and INTERPOL on investigations in West Africa and Southeast Asia.

Other reported achievements included identifying 2,004 trafficking victims, coordinating the return of 428 Nigerians exploited abroad and securing restitution for 14 victims as part of criminal sentences.

Nigeria also continued implementing its 2022–2026 National Action Plan, operating an anti-trafficking hotline, conducting public awareness campaigns and maintaining anti-trafficking task forces in 23 states.

The report said the government retained standard operating procedures and the National Referral Mechanism for handling trafficking cases.

Although the US acknowledged these efforts, it maintained that Nigeria continued to face significant challenges in protecting victims, holding allegedly complicit officials accountable and preventing the recruitment and exploitation of children.

Africans Angle News