The Nigerian Software Testing Qualifications Board (NGSTQB) has endorsed the National Software Testing Guideline introduced by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), but urged the agency to adopt a risk-based, tiered approach to enforcement rather than a one-size-fits-all standard.

The Guideline, issued in April 2026, requires software developed, modified, integrated or deployed for use in Nigeria to undergo functional and non-functional testing covering security, performance, usability, compatibility, reliability, maintainability and portability before operational deployment.

It applies to both the public and private sectors, with the depth of testing determined by a system’s risk, data sensitivity, public exposure and potential consequences of failure.

NGSTQB, a professional body focused on software testing standards and certification in Nigeria, said the Guideline addresses a critical gap in the country’s digital economy, where software failures have disrupted banking, identity and public-service platforms relied upon by millions of Nigerians.

President of NGSTQB, Boye Dare, said: “Software has become the invisible infrastructure of Nigeria’s economy; it sits behind every bank transfer, every hospital record, every government portal. When that infrastructure is not properly tested, the cost is not abstract; it is failed transactions, exposed data and public services that let people down.

The Board said its position was anchored on five principles: full support for the Guideline’s objectives and implementation; alignment with NITDA’s goal of ensuring software meets defined standards of quality, security and performance; support for independent, competent and accountable testing of systems whose failure could materially affect citizens or critical infrastructure; proportionate, risk-based regulation; and the treatment of compliance as a market-enabling investment rather than a late-stage certification exercise.

Under the framework, software must be assessed by a NITDA-licensed testing organisation and certified compliant before operational use, with acceptance criteria requiring systems to be free of unresolved critical or high-risk defects.

Significant modifications to certified software may also trigger renewed testing and certification.

NGSTQB said it would support implementation of the Guideline through education and awareness campaigns for industry, academia and the public sector; capacity development for testing professionals and organisations; implementation guidance and best-practice resources; and continued engagement with NITDA to gather industry feedback.

The Board framed the Guideline as part of a broader effort to build trust in Nigeria’s digital economy, arguing that reliable testing standards could reduce system downtime and fraud exposure while improving the international competitiveness of locally developed software.