Nigeria has been named among the five countries with the highest rates of child recruitment into armed groups, as the United Nations warns that the global crisis of children caught in conflict is worsening at an alarming pace.
The disclosure came in an interview published on the UN website ahead of the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers by Vanessa Frazier, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.
Frazier described the recruitment and use of children in warfare as one of the most widespread and devastating violations of human rights in conflict zones around the world.
“In 2024 alone, over 7,400 children were recruited or used by armed forces and armed groups - and these are only the verified cases,” she said. “The recruitment and use of children remains one of the gravest violations we face globally.”
According to UN data, the highest levels of child recruitment are currently recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, and Myanmar. The UN also highlighted emerging concerns in Sudan, where children are reportedly being drawn into roles ranging from sentry duties to frontline combat.
Frazier cautioned that the statistics conceal deeply personal stories of trauma and lost childhoods.
“Each number in our report represents a child whose innocence has been stolen,” she said.
Over the past three decades, the UN’s mandate on children and armed conflict has helped to secure the release of more than 220,000 children from armed groups. Frazier’s office engages directly with armed actors to negotiate the release of minors - often one of the few viable channels of dialogue in active conflict zones.
After their release, UNICEF and partner organisations oversee reintegration efforts, providing psychosocial support, education, and community rehabilitation. However, reintegration is often complicated by stigma, especially for girls.
“Girls who return may face rejection from their communities, particularly those who return with children,” Frazier explained, highlighting the compounded trauma experienced by female survivors.
In Nigeria, insurgent violence in the northeast has left thousands of children at risk of abduction and forced recruitment over the past decade. Frazier noted that the effects of these experiences continue to reverberate through families and communities.
Reflecting on her field visits and meetings with survivors of Boko Haram abductions, Frazier painted a stark picture of the human toll.
“When you see a 13-year-old girl holding her baby, you understand how conflict steals childhood,” she said. “These are children who should have had their whole futures ahead of them.”
The UN envoy emphasised that prevention must be central to any global response, particularly by ensuring continued access to education.
“Even in times of war, children must remain in school. When they are out of school, they become highly vulnerable to recruitment, whether forced or coerced,” she said.
Frazier also stressed the importance of accountability, citing prosecutions in national courts and at least three cases before the International Criminal Court involving the recruitment of children.
“Justice is one of the strongest deterrents. When armed group leaders are prosecuted, it sends a powerful message that this crime carries real consequences,” she added.
Describing children as “the epitome of innocence,” Frazier warned that lasting peace cannot be achieved if young people are left to bear the scars of war without support.
“The sustainability of peace depends on children’s ability to move forward. They must have access to education, the chance to dream, and opportunities to build meaningful futures,” she said.
Through her campaign, Prove It Matters, children affected by conflict send handwritten appeals to world leaders, folded into origami doves as symbols of peace. One such message, she recalled, read: “I still have hope for a peaceful world. Never again a girl being a wife of a guerrilla fighter. Never again being part of armed groups. Let’s save childhoods and families too.”
“Children should never be treated as collateral damage of war,” Frazier concluded. “Protecting them is not optional - it is essential to building a sustainable and peaceful future.”
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