Nigeria's NITDA Launches Software Quality Assurance Framework

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria has introduced the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework, approved by Director‑General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi under the NITDA Act 2007. The framework unifies three regulatory instruments – the National Software Development Guideline, the National Software Testing Guideline, and the Software Testing Organisations Licensing (STOL) Guideline – to set nationwide standards for the design, testing, and deployment of software in federal government institutions, regulated industries, and the broader digital economy.

All government software projects must now undergo independent third‑party testing and obtain certification before they can go live, a prerequisite for IT Project Clearance. The framework creates a three‑tier classification for software risk, with high‑risk Class A systems such as core banking, national identity management, and power‑grid control subject to the strictest cybersecurity and penetration‑testing requirements.

NITDA will also license technology firms to become Licensed Software Testing Organisations (LSTOs) after an upcoming expression of interest. The mandatory testing regime is set to apply from the second quarter of 2027. Officials say the initiative will reduce costly IT failures, foster digital trust, generate high‑skill jobs, and improve the competitiveness of Nigerian software firms domestically and internationally.