The report raised concerns about alleged official complicity in trafficking-related crimes, gaps in victim protection and the government’s failure to report investigations or prosecutions of public officials suspected of involvement in such offences.
Although the US retained Nigeria on Tier 2 of its trafficking classification system, it also included the country on its Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA) list, potentially exposing aspects of bilateral military assistance to restrictions from October 1, 2026, unless a presidential waiver applies.
The assessment covers the period from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, and presents a mixed picture of Nigeria’s response to trafficking: increased investigations and convictions alongside persistent concerns about accountability, labour exploitation and support for survivors.
US Raises Concerns Over Alleged Official Complicity
According to the US State Department, Nigerian authorities did not report investigations, prosecutions or convictions of government employees allegedly complicit in trafficking crimes during the reporting period. The report also said the government did not provide details of actions taken against officials implicated in earlier years.
The allegation raises questions about accountability within institutions responsible for enforcing anti-trafficking laws and protecting vulnerable people.
Such concerns highlight the difficulties of protecting survivors in areas affected by insurgency, displacement and insecurity, where victims may face pressure from armed groups, families or authorities.
The allegations do not mean that every government agency or official is implicated. However, the absence of reported action against allegedly complicit officials was identified as a significant weakness in Nigeria’s anti-trafficking response.
Nigeria Remains on Tier 2 Despite Persistent Shortcomings
The United States did not place Nigeria in the lowest trafficking classification. Instead, the country retained its Tier 2 status.
Under the US classification system, Tier 2 covers countries whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards established by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act but are making significant efforts to meet them.
The classification therefore reflects both continuing shortcomings and measures taken by the government to combat trafficking.
Prosecutors pursued 94 suspects, up from 71 in the preceding year, while the number of reported convictions rose to 97 from 49.
These figures indicate increased enforcement activity. However, the report’s criticism of alleged official complicity suggests that improvements in case investigations and convictions have not resolved concerns about accountability and the treatment of victims.
Child Soldiers Listing Could Affect Military Cooperation
Nigeria’s inclusion on the Child Soldiers Prevention Act list represents a separate concern with potential implications for its security partnerships.
The country was listed 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 report identified Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as armed groups that continue to recruit, abduct and use children, including children as young as 12.
According to the assessment, children are exploited in a range of roles, including combat, intelligence gathering, cooking, domestic work, carrying supplies, delivering messages and guarding checkpoints. The report also cited the use of children as suicide bombers.
Child recruitment by armed groups has remained a serious concern in Nigeria’s conflict-affected northeast, where years of insurgency have exposed children to abduction, displacement, family separation and exploitation.
The CSPA listing could trigger restrictions on certain categories of US assistance, including international military education and training, foreign military financing, excess defence articles, some peacekeeping operations and licences for direct commercial sales of military equipment.
The report indicated that these restrictions would apply from October 1, 2026, unless a presidential waiver applies. The practical effect will depend on the relevant legal provisions, any waiver and the specific assistance involved.
For Nigeria, the development adds a diplomatic and security dimension to the wider challenge of preventing armed groups from recruiting children and strengthening safeguards for vulnerable communities.
Victim Assistance Falls Sharply
Beyond prosecutions and military concerns, the report identified significant weaknesses in support for trafficking survivors.
It said 675 victims received assistance in 2025, compared with 2,058 in 2024. The figures represent a substantial decline in reported assistance, although they do not by themselves establish whether the number of trafficking victims increased or decreased.
The report also highlighted limited services for male survivors, noting that only one dedicated non-governmental organisation shelter for adult male victims was available during the year.
It criticised restrictions affecting people in government-run shelters operated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). According to the assessment, residents were not permitted freedom of movement, and access to certain protection services was tied to cooperation with law enforcement proceedings.
The report further stated that adults who declined shelter services did not receive government assistance and that Nigeria lacked a formal policy to prevent victims from being returned to countries where they could face hardship or retaliation.
These concerns are important because successful anti-trafficking work involves more than arresting suspects. Survivors may need safe accommodation, medical and psychological care, legal assistance, family reunification and support for rebuilding their livelihoods.
Without adequate protection, victims may remain vulnerable to intimidation, renewed exploitation or pressure not to report crimes.
Baby Factories and the Exploitation of Women and Children
The report also drew attention to so-called baby factories, which it described as facilities often disguised as orphanages, maternity homes or religious centres.
According to the assessment, traffickers allegedly detain women, subject them to rape and force them to carry pregnancies before selling the children after birth.
The report said Nigerian authorities and non-governmental organisations regard the practice as a widespread criminal industry, particularly in the southern part of the country.
The allegations underline the need for effective monitoring of facilities that provide maternity, childcare and residential services, alongside stronger investigations into suspected child sales and the exploitation of women.
Baby factories should not be confused with legitimate maternity homes, orphanages or adoption services. The central issue is the alleged use of deception, confinement, sexual violence and the sale of children for profit.
The report also identified other forms of exploitation affecting children and adults, including sex trafficking, domestic servitude, forced labour in mines and granite quarries, street begging, street vending, textile manufacturing and agricultural work.
Cocoa farms were among the workplaces identified as sites where adults and children may be subjected to forced labour.
The assessment further cited cases in which some Quranic school teachers allegedly exploited boys from rural communities through forced begging and seasonal agricultural work.
It also referred to so-called money marriages, in which families in some states reportedly give women and girls into forced marriages to older men to settle family debts.
Taken together, these concerns point to the varied settings in which trafficking and exploitation can occur, from informal workplaces and domestic settings to institutions that appear to provide legitimate care or education.
Foreign Recruitment Networks and Online Scam Operations
Human trafficking in Nigeria is not limited to exploitation within the country’s borders, according to the report.
The State Department said organised foreign criminal networks fraudulently recruit foreign nationals for work in Nigeria, confine them in rented properties and force them to participate in organised online scams.
The report also raised concerns about several international recruitment and labour arrangements involving Nigerian and foreign nationals.
It said sources reported that Nigeria’s Ministry of Education helped promote Russia’s Alabuga Start programme despite warning signs. It also alleged that Russian authorities fraudulently recruited and used Nigerians to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Separately, the report raised concerns that North Korean nationals working in Nigeria may face exploitative conditions and indicators of forced labour. It also cited reports that Chinese nationals working in Nigeria may have been subjected to forced labour by the Chinese government.
These statements are allegations and concerns recorded by the US State Department; they should not be interpreted as proof that every participant in the named programmes or every foreign worker in Nigeria has been trafficked.
The findings nevertheless highlight the importance of verifying overseas job offers, examining recruitment arrangements and investigating employers or intermediaries suspected of using deception, coercion or debt to control workers.
Labour Recruitment Rules Remain a Weak Point
The report identified gaps in protections for workers recruited through labour intermediaries.
It said Nigeria did not prohibit worker-paid recruitment fees and did not report holding labour recruiters civilly or criminally liable for fraudulent recruitment during the reporting period.
The assessment also criticised the lack of specialised training on child labour and human trafficking for labour inspectors, as well as the absence of reported anti-trafficking training for diplomatic personnel.
Recruitment fees can expose workers to debt and increase their vulnerability when jobs differ from what was promised. Where recruiters misrepresent wages, working conditions or destinations, workers may find themselves trapped in exploitative situations.
Stronger recruitment oversight, effective complaint channels and improved training for inspectors and diplomatic staff could help identify trafficking risks earlier, particularly in cross-border employment.
Government Records Increased Convictions and Funding
Despite the criticisms, the report acknowledged several measures taken by the Nigerian government to combat trafficking.
Alongside the increase in investigations, prosecutions and convictions, it reported higher allocations for victim assistance and prevention.
Nigeria allocated ₦233 million for victim services in 2025, compared with ₦128 million previously. Funding for prevention rose to ₦245 million from ₦58.8 million in 2024.
The government also identified 2,004 victims during the reporting period and coordinated the repatriation of 428 Nigerians exploited abroad.
Other measures cited included the establishment of a police cybercrime unit to tackle online scam operations, cooperation with foreign governments and INTERPOL on investigations in West Africa and Southeast Asia, and the issuance of restitution to 14 victims as part of criminal sentences.
The report also noted the continued implementation of Nigeria’s 2022–2026 National Action Plan against trafficking, operation of an anti-trafficking hotline, public awareness campaigns and anti-trafficking task forces in 23 states.
These efforts provide a foundation for further action, but the report’s findings suggest that funding and enforcement results must translate into stronger protection for survivors and credible accountability for officials suspected of complicity.
What Happens Next?
The US assessment places several issues before Nigerian authorities: preventing the recruitment of children by armed groups, investigating suspected official involvement in trafficking, expanding shelter and rehabilitation services, strengthening labour recruitment protections and addressing the exploitation of women and children in baby factories.
The October 1, 2026, effective date identified for potential CSPA-related restrictions also makes the child-soldier listing a matter for immediate diplomatic attention.
The next indicators to watch include whether authorities report credible investigations into allegedly complicit officials, whether survivor assistance improves, whether labour protections are strengthened and whether child recruitment by armed groups declines.
For victims and their families, the effectiveness of anti-trafficking policy will ultimately be measured not only by arrests and convictions but also by access to safety, justice and long-term support.
Nigeria’s Tier 2 status recognises reported government efforts, but the wider assessment makes clear that significant challenges remain. Addressing them will require sustained enforcement, transparent accountability and a victim-centred approach to preventing exploitation.
3. UNICEF Nigeria
Background on child protection, exploitation, conflict-affected children and safeguarding.
Visit UNICEF Nigeria
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