NHGSFP collection of Nigerian students' fingerprints sparks controversy

The collection of fingerprints of 642,000 primary school pupils in Nigeria sparked controversy about the programme's necessity and intrusiveness.

Part of the roll-out of the Nigeria's federal government's National Home Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), the programme aimed to provide school meals to students and accelerate school enrollment and retention, whilst boosting local food production and economies. 

Critics asked by why fingerprinting was necessary, especially for children under 5 years old, other than to verify pupils' identities. 

Questions were also asked why the collection of biometric data started in Borno State, which at the time was plagued by Boko Haram violence.

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• https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/fg-commences-biometric-data-capture-of-642000-pupils-into-home-grown-school-feeding/

• https://guardian.ng/news/fg-embarks-on-biometric-enumeration-of-pupils-on-school-feeding-programme/

• https://www.biometricupdate.com/202110/nigeria-collects-biometrics-of-elementary-school-children-for-meal-program

• https://www.biometricupdate.com/202107/nigeria-to-add-6m-students-to-biometric-database-for-school-meal-program

• https://promptnewsonline.com/school-feeding-fg-begins-verification-of-196873-pupils-in-nasarawa/