By Nworisa Michael
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has decried the continued recruitment of children as fighters and for sexual exploitation by armed groups in Nigeria’s North-East, revealing that 1,120 children were forced into non-state armed groups in 2024 alone.
UNICEF’s Child Protection Manager, Tarek Akkad, disclosed this on Wednesday in Maiduguri during the 2026 Red Hand Day commemoration, a global campaign against the use of child soldiers.
According to Akkad, 595 girls and 525 boys were recruited last year, describing the trend as a persistent and deeply damaging violation affecting communities in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
He stressed that despite progress in international law and sustained advocacy, the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict remain a troubling reality.
“Today, we reaffirm our collective responsibility to protect children from the horrors of war,” Akkad said. “No child should have to choose between survival and innocence.”
Citing recent United Nations reports, he noted that “in Northeast Nigeria alone, over 1,100 children were recruited by armed groups in 2024, a stark indicator that the fight against child soldiers is far from over.”
Akkad added that the crisis is not limited to Nigeria, pointing out that globally, an estimated 250,000 children are still involved in armed conflicts. He described the figure as a grim statistic underscoring the urgency for sustained global action.
“The red handprint has become a universal symbol of resistance,” he said. “It is a call to the world’s conscience: stop the use of children in armed conflict, and stop the exploitation of innocence in war.”
Urging stakeholders to intensify efforts, Akkad called for renewed commitment and hope.
“Let the red handprint symbolise not only protest but also hope hope for a world where every child is free from violence and able to fulfil their potential,” he said.
