Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially launched the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework.
New Africa Horizon reports Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General/CEO of NITDA, under the authority of the NITDA Act 2007, signed the framework.
Inuwa said the document was designed to eliminate costly Information Technology (IT) failures, strengthen cybersecurity, and build public trust in digital governance in the digital ecosystem.
This regulatory framework sets nationwide standards for how software is designed, tested, and deployed across Federal Government institutions, regulated industries, and the wider digital ecosystem.
It also explained that the SQA Framework unifies three complementary regulatory instruments.
NITDA noted these include:
The National Software Development Guideline: Mandates structured development lifecycles, OWASP secure coding practices, standardised system documentation, and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards for citizen-facing digital services.
National Software Testing Guideline: Establishes rigorous pre-deployment testing benchmarks for functionality, cybersecurity, performance under peak loads, and system interoperability.
Software Testing Organisations Licensing (STOL) Guideline: Regulates and accredits third-party, independent Licensed Software Testing Organisations (LSTOs) to evaluate and certify software before deployment.
According to the IT sector regulatory agency, under this new framework government software projects must undergo independent third-party testing, and receive official certification prior to going live, making compliance a mandatory prerequisite for obtaining IT Project Clearance.
Recognising that a routine departmental Web site carries vastly different operational risks than national defence or central banking systems, the framework introduces a tiered classification model.
NITDA further stated that the software would be categorised into Class A (high-risk/critical infrastructure), Class B (moderate-risk enterprise platforms), and Class C (low-risk internal tools).
It said High-impact Class A platform, such as core banking switches, identity management systems, and power grid control would be subject to the stringent security standards, deep penetration testing, and specialised audit oversight by top-tier accredited testing bodies.
This regulatory shift delivers three core advantages for the nation:
First, citizens and public agencies gain reliable, bug-free digital services that protect taxpayer investments against system crashes and cyber vulnerabilities.
Second, 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.
Third, rigorous quality assurance instils global confidence in “Made-in-Nigeria” software, opening new doors for local developers to compete in international markets and attract foreign direct investment.
Mrs. Hadiza Umar, fnipr, Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations Department at NITDA, stated Malam Inuwa said: “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.”
The Director-General of NITDA averred: “This is how we modernise government technology and position Nigerian software to compete on the global stage.”
“The agency also said the SQA Framework officially would have full effect in the second quarter (Q2) of 2027.
“In the interim, NITDA will roll out nationwide stakeholder engagement sessions, capacity-building programmes, and the formal accreditation process for software testing houses.
“An Expression of Interest (EOI) will be issued shortly for prospective testing organisations seeking licensing giving technology firms ample opportunity to align their technical capacity with the new national framework.
“For further media and regulatory enquiries, the agency urged stakeholders to contact the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Corporate Headquarters, Abuja, Nigeria, at: Web site: www.nitda.gov.ng.
END
