Software testers urge stronger quality controls for trust

The President Association of Nigerian Software Testers, Demola Adesina

Kindly share this story:

Software testers in Nigeria on Saturday called for stronger standards and stricter quality controls to bolster digital trust as the country expands its technology sector. The call came during the 8th Annual Conference of the Association of Nigerian Software Testers, held in Lagos.

The conference, themed “TESTING NIGERIA FORWARD: Building Trust. Powering Progress. Shaping the Future”, highlighted the critical role of high-quality software in ensuring reliable digital platforms for businesses, government services, and consumers.

In a country racing to digitise banking, government services, and commerce, the reliability of digital platforms has become a matter of national interest. Discussions at the forum included the integration of artificial intelligence in software testing, post-deployment system maintenance, and establishing robust industry standards.

The keynote session emphasised the non-negotiable importance of software quality for Nigerian organisations and government bodies. President Demola Adesina of ANST stated that quality is the foundation of trust, safety, innovation, and national competitiveness.

“Quality is no longer just a function. It is the foundation of trust, safety, innovation, and national competitiveness. If Nigeria is going to move forward, we must build what I call digital trust, the assurance that anything delivered through technology works as intended,” said President Adesina.

He explained that ANST exists to eradicate poor-quality software by advocating world-class standards, developing Africa’s most skilled software testing community, and partnering with organisations to embed robust testing practices.

The association envisions a Nigeria where citizens can trust every digital platform they use and where the country is globally recognised for high-quality digital innovation and technology investment.

President Adesina stressed that quality must not end at deployment. Once a product is built and deployed, it must be maintained through rigorous post-deployment processes, continuous monitoring, and long-term excellence.

The executive highlighted that Nigeria has hundreds of applications built locally, with many more in development, and that quality has now become a national priority.

“To maintain a system, you must focus relentlessly on quality. Our work protects users, strengthens businesses, ensures resilience in public systems, and elevates Nigeria’s global reputation,” he said.

A key highlight of the conference was a virtual presentation by Director Soji Ononuga of Testing Academy Nigeria, on the theme “The Intersection of AI and Software Testing”. He asked whether artificial intelligence would replace software testers or revolutionise the profession and encouraged attendees to embrace emerging technologies while developing new competencies.

“Software testing professionals have always been the guardians of trust, the gatekeepers of quality, and the quiet custodians ensuring that systems in government, hospitals, banks, and small enterprises behave exactly as intended. But today, the world is changing faster than ever,” Ononuga noted.

The expert urged the profession to master AI-assisted testing, test data engineering, model evaluation and AI risk assurance, front-end engineering, domain expertise, and ethical and regulatory governance. Africa is awakening, and young testers are already learning automation and Python and contributing to open-source AI initiatives.

“Do not fear AI. Do not shrink from disruption. Learn, adapt, innovate, and lead. The tools of yesterday will not build the systems of tomorrow,” Ononuga advised.

He also encouraged organisations to invest in upskilling rather than downsizing, empower testers to act as AI supervisors and risk analysts, embed AI into the entire testing pipeline, and treat data as a strategic asset. AI-driven testing, he explained, is not only a cost-saving tool but also a strategy that accelerates innovation, reduces defects, improves time-to-market, and drives long-term profitability.

Another keynote was delivered by Executive Director Olayinka Oni of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, who focused on building sustainable, high-quality software. He shared lessons from Sterling’s digital journey, highlighting the importance of disciplined governance, a culture of quality, and strong architectural foundations to ensure system reliability and resilience.

“Any field that will stand the test of time must be built on quality and integrity. On our own journey, we went through seasons where some things had to change. We disciplined our governance structures and focused on delivering quality solutions,” the executive remarked.

He explained that Sterling invested heavily in testing, ensuring every product met clear, measurable standards from requirements through deployment. Testing, he said, became more than a process; it became a culture. Quality, according to the director, requires the right mindset, embedded governance, disciplined measurement, strong architecture, and leadership that never compromises standards.

“Leadership plays a critical role. Quality must not be bypassed. When trust is broken, rebuilding it is almost impossible,” he said.

He emphasised the importance of secure design, modularity, incremental delivery, redundancy, failover systems, usability, and customer-centric architecture. Oni noted that quality assurance is an integral part of broader quality management and enables innovation, ensuring privacy, compliance, design integrity, and system resilience.

“We believe in speed, but not speed without discipline. Speed without discipline becomes reckless. True momentum is speed governed by caution, structure, and accountability. Quality is a lifelong commitment. Every change must be questioned: what impact will it have? Will it break something? What are the risks?” Oni revealed.

The conference also featured panel sessions where experts shared insights, debated trends, and explored emerging challenges in software testing and digital transformation.

Justice has over three years experience spanning digital and print media. At The PUNCH, he currently covers the automobile sector with special interest in features and industry analysis.

Kindly share this story:

All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]

UPDATE NEWS: Nigerians can now invest ₦2.5million on premium domains and profit about ₦17-₦25Million. All earnings paid in US Dollars. Rather than wonder, 👉 click here to find out how it work (Be sure to ask for evidence of clients that have benefitted from this)

Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow The Punch Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!

Stay in the know—fast. Get instant alerts, breaking headlines, and exclusive stories with the Punch News App. Download now and never miss a beat.