UN raises alarm as 1,364 children recruited by terrorists, 14,000 schools shut in West Africa

By Michael Kalu

The United Nations has warned that terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel has reached a devastating new scale, with at least 1,364 children recruited by armed groups in 2024 and more than 14,000 schools closed as violence spreads across fragile communities.

Speaking at the Regional Conference on Combating Emerging Terrorist Groups in Abuja on Wednesday, UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mr Leonardo Simão, said the situation reflects “stolen futures, fractured communities, and deepening fragility,” stressing that terrorist organisations are adapting by exploiting ungoverned spaces, community grievances, and new technologies.

According to Simão, “Among the 10 countries most impacted by terrorism in the world, five are in our region. The increase is not only in the number of attacks and victims but also in sophistication, as groups forge alliances and expand their operational reach.” He warned that extremist violence has now penetrated sensitive border zones such as the Tambacounda region between Mali, Senegal, Guinea and Mauritania, and into protected reserves like Park W, Arly and Pendjari, threatening livelihoods, eco-tourism and biodiversity.

The envoy noted that persistent political disputes among neighbouring states, coupled with the pressures of climate change, were fuelling extremism and providing fertile ground for recruitment. He said, “Climate change continues to act as a threat multiplier—driving displacement, intensifying resource conflicts, and forcing entire communities into precarious livelihoods. Terrorist groups exploit these vulnerabilities, embedding themselves in marginalised communities and using local grievances as recruitment tools.”

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mr Mohammed Badaru, also addressed the conference, insisting that terrorism had become one of the greatest threats to peace and stability in the region. He warned that fragmented national responses were no longer sufficient to counter a transnational menace. “For too long, our responses have been fragmented. National efforts, though commendable, have not been sufficient against a transnational menace. Terrorism spreads whenever it finds weaknesses in our shared defences. Security in one country is inseparable from the security of its neighbours,” he said.

The minister stressed that intelligence must be integrated across the region to act as the “primary force multiplier” against violent groups.

He urged ECOWAS to institutionalise real-time intelligence exchange, adopt artificial intelligence-driven early-warning systems, and operationalise the long-delayed ECOWAS Standby Force. Badaru added that harmonising legal frameworks across member states was equally vital to deny terrorists and their financiers safe havens.

The UN envoy further called for a holistic response that goes beyond military operations to include political dialogue, social services, sustainable development, and action against transnational organised crime such as drug trafficking, illegal mining, and arms smuggling that bankroll extremist networks.