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By Emma Njoku
The Association of Nigeria Software Testers (ANST) has renewed calls for a stronger and more reliable digital ecosystem as technology continues to shape Nigeria’s economic direction.
The message was central to discussions at the association’s 8th Annual National Software Testing Conference, held under the theme, “Testing Nigeria Forward: Building Trust, Powering Progress, Shaping the Future.”
ANST president, Demola Adesina, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to safeguarding users, strengthening businesses, boosting public-sector resilience and enhancing Nigeria’s global digital reputation. He stressed that software testing must align with international standards, noting that quality is the foundation of trust, safety, innovation and national competitiveness.
Adesina added that quality assurance must go beyond initial deployment and extend into continuous monitoring, post-launch maintenance and long-term excellence, practices, which he described as essential for building trust and enabling industries to innovate confidently.
In his keynote address, Soji Ononuga, Testing Academy Director and leading advocate for AI-driven quality engineering, urged participants to embrace artificial intelligence as a transformative tool for advancing the software testing profession.
He called for stronger national structures, including updated curricula, improved certification systems and deeper collaboration between industry and academia.
Ononuga said: “In the age of intelligent systems, trust remains the ultimate test and software testers remain its guardians.”
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, Sterling Financial Holdings, Olayinka Oni, underscored the critical importance of discipline, standards and trust in software development.
He urged Nigerian developers and engineering leaders to raise the bar, reject mediocrity and build systems worthy of public confidence.
Oni emphasised that Nigeria must prioritise world-class quality, adopt global frameworks, engineer secure systems and cultivate strong cultures of governance and innovation.
Cybersecurity expert, Dipo Olasemo, highlighted Nigeria’s significant progress in technology adoption and internet penetration but cautioned that cybercrime remains a substantial threat.
He stressed the need for stronger regulation, improved institutional accountability and enhanced protection of digital assets across both public and private sectors.
Founder of Quality Techniques, Adenike Olapitan, noted that many organisations still struggle to assess the competence of their quality assurance teams, making ANST’s role in validating and empowering QA professionals even more critical.
She emphasised that rigorous software validation was essential to prevent fraud, safeguard transactions and protect consumers in an increasingly digital economy.
The conference showcased a newly developed, Nigeria AI-powered test tool called ‘TimeToTest,’ which was sampled there and then by over 300 attendees.
The conference concluded with the ANST Community Awards, which celebrated individuals and organisations making exceptional contributions to software quality assurance and digital trust in Nigeria. Honourees included NITDA, QACE, MTN Nigeria, Scandium Systems and other industry leaders, whose work continues to elevate the nation’s quality engineering landscape. Scandium Systems received the Indigenous QA Innovation Award, recognising its pioneering efforts in developing homegrown testing tools and advancing ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ technology.
