By BONIFACE AKARAH

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled a National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework aimed at reducing costly information technology failures, strengthening cybersecurity and improving public confidence in digital governance across Nigeria.

The framework, signed by NITDA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, under the provisions of the NITDA Act 2007, establishes nationwide standards for the design, testing and deployment of software across federal government institutions, regulated industries and the broader digital ecosystem.

According to the agency, compliance with the framework will become a mandatory condition for obtaining IT Project Clearance, with government software projects required to undergo independent third-party testing and receive certification before deployment.

"Quality is the foundation of digital trust. With this Framework, every software solution serving Nigerians—whether built for government or the private sector—will meet clear national standards for security, reliability and interoperability," Abdullahi said. "This is how we modernise government technology and position Nigerian software to compete on the global stage."

NITDA said the new framework harmonises three key regulatory instruments comprising the National Software Development Guideline, the National Software Testing Guideline, and the Software Testing Organisations Licensing (STOL) Guideline. These are designed to standardise software development practices, establish rigorous pre-deployment testing requirements, and regulate independent software testing organisations responsible for certifying software before deployment.

The agency explained that the National Software Development Guideline mandates structured software development lifecycles, secure coding practices based on the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), standardised system documentation and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA standards for citizen-facing digital services.

It added that the National Software Testing Guideline introduces mandatory testing benchmarks covering functionality, cybersecurity, system interoperability and performance under peak operational loads, while the STOL Guideline provides for the licensing and accreditation of independent Licensed Software Testing Organisations (LSTOs).

NITDA also introduced a risk-based classification system under the framework to reflect the varying operational importance of software applications.

"Recognising that a routine departmental website carries vastly different operational risks than national defence or central banking systems, the framework introduces a tiered classification model," the agency said. "Software will be categorised into Class A (high-risk/critical infrastructure), Class B (moderate-risk enterprise platforms), and Class C (low-risk internal tools)."

It stated that high-impact Class A platforms, including core banking switches, identity management systems and power grid control systems, would be subjected to more stringent security standards, deeper penetration testing and specialised audit oversight by top-tier accredited testing organisations.

Highlighting the expected benefits of the initiative, NITDA said the framework would improve the reliability of public digital services, create a regulated software testing industry that supports indigenous technology firms and skilled employment, and boost global confidence in Nigerian-developed software products.

"By establishing a regulated market for independent software testing, NITDA is creating a new industry sector that stimulates indigenous tech entrepreneurship, promotes international certifications, and generates high-skilled jobs for Nigerian engineers," the agency said. "Rigorous quality assurance will also instil global confidence in 'Made-in-Nigeria' software, opening new opportunities for local developers to compete internationally and attract foreign direct investment."

NITDA said the Software Quality Assurance Framework will take full effect in the second quarter of 2027. Before then, the agency plans to conduct nationwide stakeholder engagement sessions, capacity-building programmes and commence the accreditation process for software testing organisations.

It added that an Expression of Interest (EOI) would soon be issued to prospective software testing organisations seeking licences, allowing technology firms sufficient time to align with the new regulatory requirements.