To avert IT failures, strengthen cybersecurity, and build public trust in digital governance, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has launched the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework.
The NITDA Director-General/CEO, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, who signed the Framework under the authority of the NITDA Act 2007, stated that the regulatory framework sets nationwide standards for how software is designed, tested, and deployed across Federal Government institutions, regulated industries, and the wider digital ecosystem.
The SQA Framework unifies three complementary regulatory instruments, namely the National Software Development Guideline, which mandates structured development lifecycles, OWASP secure coding practices, standardised system documentation, and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards for citizen-facing digital services; and National Software Testing Guideline, which establishes rigorous pre-deployment testing benchmarks for functionality, cybersecurity, performance under peak loads, and system interoperability.
The third instrument is the Software Testing Organisations Licensing (STOL) Guideline that regulates and accredits third-party, independent Licensed Software Testing Organisations (LSTOs) to evaluate and certify software before deployment.
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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 website carries vastly different operational risks than national defence or central banking systems, the framework introduces a tiered classification model. Software will be categorised into Class A (high-risk/critical infrastructure), Class B (moderate-risk enterprise platforms), and Class C (low-risk internal tools). High-impact Class A platform such as core banking switches, identity management systems, and power grid control will be subject to the stringent security standards, deep penetration testing, and specialised audit oversight by top-tier accredited testing bodies.
On the core advantages for the nation, the framework enables citizens and public agencies gain reliable, bug-free digital services that protect taxpayer investments against system crashes and cyber vulnerabilities.
Secondly, 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.
Thirdly, the agency stated that rigorous quality assurance would instil global confidence in “Made-in-Nigeria” software, opening new doors for local developers to compete in international markets and attract foreign direct investment.
Speaking on the regulatory measure of the NITDA, the Director-General 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.
“This is how we modernise government technology and position Nigerian software to compete on the global stage”, Inuwa added
According to the agency, the SQA framework implementation will become fully effective from the second quarter of 2027.
The NITDA stated that in the interim, it would organise nationwide stakeholder engagement sessions, capacity-building programmes, and the formal accreditation process for software testing houses.
It added that an Expression of Interest (EOI) would soon be issued for prospective testing organisations seeking licensing, thereby giving tech firms opportunity to align their technical capacity with the new national framework.
