The Software Testing Qualifications Board (NGSTQB) has officially backed the National Software Testing Guideline launched by NITDA, insisting that its implementation should be based on risk rather than a uniform rule. The guideline stipulates that any software built, altered, merged, or launched for use in Nigeria must be subjected to functional and non-functional testing, including security, performance, usability, compatibility, reliability, maintainability, and portability, prior to going live. This obligation covers entities in both public and private sectors, with the extent of testing dictated by the system’s risk, data sensitivity, public visibility, and the potential fallout of a malfunction.
Guideline Requirements and Scope
The guideline addresses a gap in Nigeria’s digital economy, where software failures have disrupted critical platforms such as banking, identity services, and government portals. These systems form the invisible infrastructure of the economy, underpinning bank transfers, hospital records, and government portals. When such infrastructure lacks proper testing, the impact is tangible: failed transactions, exposed data, and public services that fail citizens. The 2026 implementation timeline requires systems to meet defined quality, security, and performance standards, with certified software potentially triggering renewed testing requirements.
NGSTQB’s Five Positions
Mr. Boye Dare, NGSTQB president, outlined five core positions supporting the guideline. First, full backing for the guideline’s objectives and implementation. Second, alignment with NITDA’s aim of ensuring software meets defined standards. Third, support for independent, competent, and accountable testing of systems whose failure could materially affect citizens or critical infrastructure. Fourth, a call for proportionate, risk-based regulation so assurance effort matches potential harm. Fifth, urging industry to treat compliance as a market-enabling investment rather than a late-stage burden.
“We support universal minimum requirements, but enhanced testing has to be reserved for the systems where failure carries national consequence,” Dare stated. “That is what makes this Guideline workable rather than just aspirational.” Only software assessed by a NITDA-licensed testing organization and certified compliant may be used operationally, with acceptance criteria requiring systems to be free of unresolved critical or high-risk defects.
Implementation and Industry Engagement
NGSTQB commits to supporting the guideline through education and awareness campaigns for industry, academia, and the public sector. This includes capacity development for testing professionals and organizations, implementation guidance, and best-practice resources. Ongoing engagement with NITDA will gather industry feedback to ensure the guideline works in practice. “We are committing to sit with industry, train the professionals who will do this testing, and take feedback back to NITDA so the Guideline works in practice, not just on paper,” Dare added.
