NITDA to License Tech Firms for Software Testing as New National Framework Takes Effect

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to license technology firms to conduct software testing, as part of a broader push to standardize IT project implementation across federal government agencies and regulated private sector entities.

The initiative follows the launch of Nigeria’s National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework, which mandates that all federal government software projects undergo independent third-party testing and certification before they can be deployed.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, NITDA’s Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, said the framework aims to address persistent challenges in public sector digital projects.

“The framework is aimed at reducing costly IT failures, strengthening cybersecurity, and improving public trust in digital government services by setting national standards for software development, testing, and deployment,” she said.

The National Software Quality Assurance Framework was signed into effect by NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, exercising powers under the NITDA Act 2007. It will become a mandatory requirement for obtaining IT Project Clearance for all government software projects starting from the second quarter of 2027.

Under the new regime, only NITDA-licensed technology firms will be authorized to perform the independent testing and certification required for project approvals. This is expected to create a regulated ecosystem of quality assurance providers capable of meeting the government’s standards.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the high failure rate of government IT projects, many of which have suffered from poor performance, security vulnerabilities, and cost overruns. By institutionalizing independent quality assurance, NITDA hopes to ensure that software deployed for critical public services is reliable, secure, and user-friendly.

The framework is also expected to extend its influence to regulated private sector entities, promoting higher standards of software engineering across key industries.

Stakeholders in the local tech industry have welcomed the development, viewing it as an opportunity to build domestic capacity in software testing and quality assurance while reducing over-reliance on unverified foreign solutions.

Further details on the licensing process, application requirements for testing firms, and the full guidelines of the SQA Framework are expected to be released by NITDA in the coming months.