NHGSFP collection of Nigerian students' fingerprints sparks controversy

The collection of fingerprints and photos 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. 

However, critics questioned the necessity of fingerprinting children under 5 years old other than to verify their 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.