The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) will convene a national webinar on November 25, 2026, to examine software quality assurance, testing standards and the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for the development, security and reliability of Nigerian software.

The online event, scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. West Africa Time (WAT), will focus on the theme, “Building Trust in Nigerian Software: Quality, Standards and Assurance in the Age of AI”. Participation is free, but prospective attendees must register in advance, the software professionals’ group announced in a statement seen by Technology Times.

The webinar comes as Nigeria prepares to implement a new regulatory framework governing software development, testing and certification, placing greater emphasis on the quality, security and reliability of applications deployed across government institutions, regulated industries and the wider digital economy.

For Nigeria’s indigenous software industry, ISPON says the discussions will address an increasingly important question: how can locally developed software earn the confidence of government agencies, businesses and consumers as digital services expand and AI becomes more deeply integrated into software development?

The discussions are expected to cover software testing, quality assurance and quality control, engineering standards, compliance, security vulnerabilities, software defects and operational risks. Participants will also examine how organisations can assess software quality during procurement, implementation and acceptance, particularly where applications support essential services and business operations.

The professional body is seeking to encourage stronger software testing practices, quality assurance processes, engineering standards and professional discipline as Nigeria’s indigenous software industry expands. The implications extend beyond software developers. Government institutions, financial services providers, healthcare organisations, telecommunications companies and other enterprises increasingly depend on software to deliver services, manage transactions and support critical operations.

A significant part of the conversation will focus on the growing use of AI in software development and testing. While AI-assisted tools are creating opportunities to accelerate software development, automate testing and improve productivity, their adoption also raises questions about the reliability, security, accountability and trustworthiness of the resulting applications.

ISPON says the increasing adoption of AI in software development introduces new opportunities alongside important questions concerning reliability, security, accountability and trust.

The professional body is seeking to encourage stronger software testing practices, quality assurance processes, engineering standards and professional discipline as Nigeria’s indigenous software industry expands.

The implications extend beyond software developers. Government institutions, financial services providers, healthcare organisations, telecommunications companies and other enterprises increasingly depend on software to deliver services, manage transactions and support critical operations.

Software failures, security vulnerabilities and unreliable applications can therefore have consequences for organisational performance, service delivery, public confidence and national development.

The webinar is expected to examine practical approaches through which software buyers, procurement professionals and implementing organisations can evaluate the quality of applications before accepting them for deployment. This includes assessing software during procurement, implementation and acceptance rather than treating quality assurance as a final-stage technical exercise.

The initiative also seeks to strengthen collaboration between software developers, software buyers, government institutions, regulators, academics and other industry stakeholders, with the objective of improving confidence in Nigerian-developed software and encouraging its wider adoption.

ISPON: NITDA’s software quality framework raises industry stakes

The ISPON webinar comes against the background of regulatory changes introduced by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), which is seeking to establish clearer national requirements for software development, testing and independent quality assurance.

On April 16, 2026, NITDA published three software-related regulatory instruments: the National Software Development Guideline, the National Software Testing Guideline and the Software Testing Organisations Licensing Guideline.

The three instruments were subsequently brought together under the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework, which NITDA officially launched in July 2026.

The framework, which is scheduled to take full effect in the second quarter of 2027, establishes requirements covering software development processes, documentation, security, functionality, performance and testing before deployment.

A major component is the introduction of a licensing and accreditation regime for independent software testing organisations. Under the arrangement, organisations seeking to provide independent software testing and certification services will be required to satisfy specified technical, professional and operational requirements.

The framework also introduces a risk-based classification approach to software assessment, recognising that applications supporting critical infrastructure and essential services require more rigorous testing and security scrutiny than lower-risk internal applications.

Under the requirements reported by NITDA, government software projects must undergo independent third-party testing and receive certification before deployment, with compliance becoming a prerequisite for obtaining IT Project Clearance.

The framework identifies different risk categories, including high-risk applications supporting critical infrastructure, moderate-risk enterprise platforms and lower-risk internal tools. High-risk applications, such as core banking switches, identity management systems and power grid control platforms, are expected to undergo more stringent security assessments, penetration testing and specialised audit oversight.

The regulatory changes have implications for software developers, technology vendors, government procuring entities and prospective independent testing organisations.

For developers, the requirements place greater emphasis on incorporating quality, security and documentation throughout the software development lifecycle. For software buyers, they reinforce the importance of evaluating applications against defined technical and operational requirements before acceptance.

The licensing regime also creates opportunities for Nigerian technology professionals and companies seeking to establish independent software testing and quality assurance businesses.

NITDA has indicated that stakeholder engagement, capacity-building and the accreditation of software testing organisations will form part of the preparations for full implementation of the framework.

These developments provide an important context for ISPON’s planned discussions, particularly as software practitioners and organisations consider how to align their development, testing and procurement practices with the emerging regulatory requirements.

ISPON’s role in strengthening indigenous software development

Established in 1999, ISPON is the industry professional body for indigenous software developers and practitioners in Nigeria. Its founding objective was to create an enabling environment for local software developers and content providers to grow and compete.

The organisation’s mission, as outlined on its official website, is to contribute to national development and the software ecosystem through innovation, sustainable development and the widespread application of Nigerian software and services.

Its activities include advocacy for locally developed software, industry information, professional networking, certification-related opportunities and engagement with public institutions on policies affecting the domestic software industry.

ISPON also identifies strategic partnerships with the Office for National Content in ICT and the Bureau of Public Procurement, particularly around local software content and procurement practices. Its website further identifies an international outreach partnership with the Silicon Valley Forum.

The organisation has also highlighted its advocacy around the implementation of Executive Order 003, which promotes local content in procurement by Federal Government institutions, as well as discussions with the Bank of Industry on intervention funding for software businesses.

These activities reflect ISPON’s longstanding interest in expanding the market for Nigerian-developed software and strengthening the capacity of indigenous technology companies.

The emerging software quality regulatory framework introduces another dimension to that agenda. Beyond encouraging government and businesses to patronise locally developed applications, the industry must demonstrate that Nigerian software can meet the reliability, security, performance and compliance requirements expected of enterprise-grade technology products.

The ability to establish credible quality assurance practices will therefore be important to the competitiveness of indigenous software developers, particularly as government institutions and businesses become more demanding in their procurement and technology deployment requirements.

AI, software testing and the challenge of building trust

The growing integration of AI into software development adds another layer to the quality assurance debate.

AI-assisted development tools can support code generation, debugging, documentation and automated testing. However, software produced or modified with AI assistance still requires appropriate human oversight, validation and security assessment.

The possibility of introducing coding errors, security weaknesses or unreliable outputs through AI-generated code makes independent testing and systematic quality assurance particularly important.

For organisations adopting these tools, the challenge extends beyond determining whether AI can accelerate development. They must also establish how software produced with AI assistance can be tested, validated and monitored to meet operational, security and accountability requirements.

These issues are especially significant in sectors such as banking, telecommunications, healthcare and government, where software failures can disrupt essential services, expose sensitive information or undermine public confidence.

ISPON’s webinar is expected to provide a platform for examining these questions alongside established software engineering practices and applicable quality standards.

Its stated objectives include promoting best practices in software testing and engineering, examining the application of relevant quality standards in Nigeria, exploring the opportunities and risks associated with AI-assisted development and testing, and identifying practical measures to improve confidence in Nigerian-developed software.

The event is expected to attract software developers, quality assurance engineers, software testers, IT project managers, technology executives, software buyers, procurement professionals, government institutions, regulators, academics and students.

Participants are expected to gain practical insights into evaluating software solutions, managing quality-related risks and applying assurance practices throughout the software development and procurement lifecycle.

What the webinar means for Nigeria’s software industry

The convergence of AI adoption and the impending implementation of the National Software Quality Assurance Framework places software quality at the centre of Nigeria’s digital economy development agenda.

For indigenous software developers, meeting recognised quality and security requirements could strengthen their ability to compete for government and private-sector contracts, expand into regulated industries and build confidence among prospective customers.

For investors, the emergence of a regulated software testing market could create opportunities in independent testing services, cybersecurity assessments, quality assurance infrastructure, professional training and certification.

Government institutions and enterprise software buyers also have a growing responsibility to ensure that procurement decisions consider not only the functionality and cost of applications but also their security, reliability, interoperability and long-term operational performance.

The discussions could therefore help clarify the practical responsibilities of different stakeholders as Nigeria moves towards a more structured software quality assurance environment.

However, the effectiveness of the emerging framework will depend on implementation capacity, the availability of qualified testing organisations, industry readiness and the ability of software developers and procuring institutions to comply with the prescribed standards.

ISPON’s national webinar provides an opportunity for these stakeholders to engage with the issues ahead of the framework’s scheduled commencement in Q2 2027.

Webinar participation

The ISPON national webinar, themed “Building Trust in Nigerian Software: Quality, Standards and Assurance in the Age of AI”, will hold online on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. WAT.

Participation is free, subject to prior registration. Details of speakers, the programme and webinar access arrangements are expected to be communicated as they are confirmed.

Interested participants can obtain further information through the official website of ISPON, according to the organisation.