Demola Adesina, the president of the Association of Nigeria Software Testers (ANST), said Nigeria cannot achieve a resilient digital economy without making software quality a national priority.
Speaking at the 8th annual ANST conference on Saturday, December 6th, Adesina said the event aims to highlight the importance of proper software testing across all sectors, including banking, manufacturing, healthcare, telecoms, to fintech platforms.
“We want to bring to the fore the advantage and the benefits of testing properly,” he said. “When systems are tested properly, we have more stable applications. That is why you trust your banking apps and your emails. Quality creates digital trust.”
This year’s edition marked a shift from previous conferences. While earlier editions focused on building a pool of software testers, Adesina said the association is now “raising the bar” by engaging companies directly and demanding accountability for poor-quality software.
Nigeria has a population of about 220 million people, and scores of new applications of varying sizes and complexities are built every week, each one requiring proper testing, so the target we are aiming at is constantly moving.
“Our mission is to meet the nation’s growing demand for skilled QA professionals and build an army of world-class software testers. We also want international companies to hire our talent right here in Nigeria and pay them competitively. Ultimately, we must stem the tech brain-drain epidemic by ensuring our brightest minds can build successful, globally relevant careers without leaving home,” he said.
During his welcome address, he emphasised the critical role of quality in modern digital systems, stating:
“In a world built on technology, quality is no longer optional; it is the foundation of trust, safety, innovation, and national competitiveness.”
The conference featured keynote presentations, panel sessions, and live demonstrations on secure-by-design development, risk management, and emerging trends in AI-assisted quality assurance.
Olayinka Oni, Sterling Financial Holding Company’s chief operating officer, told participants that the cost of ignoring quality is often catastrophic. Drawing from the bank’s own journey of rebuilding its core banking system, he said failures had once cost the institution billions.
“We told ourselves that we must build, test, and validate from the ground up,” he said. “Quality is everybody’s responsibility. Mindset, culture, and governance must come first. Speed without discipline is a liability.”
He warned that deployment is never the end of quality. “Reliability is not a milestone; it is a daily ritual,” he noted, urging organisations to embed quality checks into every stage of development.
Dipo Olasemo, a global cybersecurity leader, also stressed the need for stronger accountability and improved customer education on cyber risks.
He said organisations must treat awareness training as a strategic investment.
“Somebody needs to be accountable,” he said. “Training should be as mandatory as Know Your Customer (KYC). Most breaches happen because someone simply didn’t know.”
Soji Ononuga, Director of Testing Academy Nigeria, explored how artificial intelligence is transforming the software testing lifecycle and what the future holds for QA professionals.
During the event, participants engaged in expert panel discussions, hands-on breakout sessions covering Python, Playwright, and Postman, and a Nigerian Test Tools Showcase (Bugathon) featuring homegrown testing solutions aimed at reducing reliance on foreign tools.
The conference received strong industry backing from Sterling Bank (headline sponsor), MTN Nigeria, Zenith Bank, Barnksforte Group, Testing Academy, Scandium Systems, QACE Media, and TimeToTest.
The event concluded with the presentation of ANST’s annual awards, which recognised outstanding achievements in innovation, leadership, mentorship, digital trust, and community impact.
Honourees included Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA, who received the National Digital Trust Champion award; MTN Nigeria, honoured as Employer of Excellence in Quality; and Kappo Samuel Olawale, Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Students’ Union Affairs (Tertiary Education), who was named Quality Advocate of the Year.
