By Usman Aliyu
Mr Nosike Nwigene, a technology expert, says the implementation of the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency’s (NITDA) Software Quality Assurance Framework could help build a globally competitive software-testing industry in Nigeria.
Nwigene, an expert in strategic communications and emerging technology policy, said this on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the implications of the framework for Nigeria’s technology ecosystem.
NAN reports that NITDA introduced the framework to strengthen the quality, security, reliability and performance of software developed or deployed for public-sector use.
Under the framework, government software projects are expected to undergo independent quality testing before deployment by the second quarter of 2027, creating demand for qualified testing providers.
Nwigene, who has worked with the Nigeria Startup Act Secretariat and the World Bank, said the framework was necessary because software could be deployed with security, reliability or performance problems that became more costly once users depended on it.
“As more public services move online, the consequences are bigger,” he said.
He, however, cautioned that testing alone could not address problems arising from poor requirements, weak procurement or rushed projects.
“The framework is useful, but it should be part of better project delivery, not a substitute for it,” he said.
Nwigene said that success should not be measured by compliance with the timeline alone.
He said Nigeria already had software-testing expertise, with the immediate challenge being to ensure enough qualified independent providers were available before demand increased.
“It would be better to have a functioning market ready for implementation than to meet the deadline on paper and create a queue of projects waiting to be tested,” he said.
Nwigene also clarified that Nigeria had software-testing capabilities, including NITDA’s testing and certification function.
He noted, however, that the emerging challenge was whether enough independent organisations could meet the requirements of the new licensing framework.
“That could become a bottleneck if accreditation moves more slowly than demand,” he said.
The expert urged NITDA to provide a clear and predictable route to accreditation while working with existing technology companies, professionals and training providers to identify capability gaps and help meet required standards.
“The opportunity is to build on what Nigeria already has rather than create an entirely new industry from the ground up,” he said.
Drawing from his experience with technology regulation, Nwigene said successful implementation required clear rules, predictable processes and continuous engagement with those expected to comply.
“A regulation can be well designed and still struggle if the implementation process is unclear,” he said.
He acknowledged that inadequate testing capacity could slow government digital projects, but said the answer was to build capacity early rather than compromise testing requirements.
“A system supporting a critical public service deserves much more scrutiny than a lower-risk internal application,” he said, adding that the framework’s risk classification provided a basis for such an approach.
On accreditation, Nwigene said NITDA needed to maintain high technical standards while ensuring smaller firms were not excluded from the market.
“Smaller Nigerian companies may have strong technical capability without having the resources of a large organisation,” he said.
He said clear rules on conflicts of interest were also necessary to ensure that independent testing remained genuinely independent.
Nwigene said the framework could create opportunities in quality assurance, security testing, performance testing and other specialised technical services.
“A formal market for testing could create demand for quality assurance, security testing, performance testing and specialised technical services,” he said.
He, however, cautioned that regulation alone would not create a competitive industry.
“The firms that emerge will need to compete on the quality of their work, and government and private sector buyers will need to value that quality rather than treating the licence as the product,” he said.
Nwigene urged NITDA to measure the framework’s success by improvements in software quality and public services rather than the number of accredited organisations.
“If we have hundreds of certificates and citizens are still struggling with unreliable government services, then we have measured the wrong thing,” he said.
He identified three priorities ahead of the second-quarter 2027 deadline.
The areas, he said, were building the accreditation pipeline early, ensuring requirements remained proportionate to risk, and measuring outcomes rather than activities.
“If the framework leads to better software, stronger local testing companies and skills that can compete internationally, then it has achieved much more than compliance.
“The regulation should ultimately create a better market, not simply another certificate,” he said
Nwigene said the framework could ultimately deliver both regulatory compliance and a stronger domestic software-testing industry.
“The immediate purpose is compliance and better software quality, but Nigeria already has a technology ecosystem that could support a much bigger testing industry.
“If NITDA can build the right standards, capacity and market conditions around the framework, we can end up with not just better government software, but a Nigerian capability that can compete internationally,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
AUO/KUA
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Edited by Uche Anunne