Senate Seeks Ban on Child Soldiers as Armed Forces Bill Scales Second Reading

Senate Seeks Ban on Child Soldiers as Armed Forces Bill Scales Second Reading

Azeez Ajibola Afolabi

The Senate has taken steps to prohibit the recruitment of individuals below 18 years of age into the military, following the passage of the Armed Forces (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2025, for second reading.

The proposed law, which bars the enlistment of minors, aims to align Nigeria’s military recruitment standards with the Child Rights Act (2003), the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.