Innovation Capability of Software Firms in Nigeria: Users’ perception

This study explores the users ‘perceptions of the innovation capability of software firms in Nigeria. In Nigeria, software users especially organization believe that software firms are not capable to develop innovative customized software products like the once developed by foreign firms. Hence, the study explored users’ perception of the quality of indigenous Customized Software Product (CSP) developed in Nigeria by Nigerian software firms. The innovation capability maturity model (ICM) was used to determine the ICM level of indigenous software firms according to the users’ perceptive. A quantitative analysis was conducted from 600 respondent across three geopolitical regions of Nigeria and one states within the region. The results were obtained using descriptive analysis (frequencies and mean values) as well as one-way ANOVA test to determine the users’ perceptive of the ICM level of indigenous software firms (ISF) categorized on a 5-point Likert scale. The findings reveal that the ICM level of ISFs to develop quality of CSP is at the supported innovation level on the ICM where the ANOVA test the users’ perception of the quality of CSP showed at p<0.05, and (µ=3.3). This is an indication that ISF are capable to a great extent to develop CSP that are Functional (µ=3.6) and Reliable (µ=3.6) whereas, to a moderate extent the ISFs are capable of developing CSPs that are durable (µ=3.3), good capacity (µ=3.0), cost effective (µ=3.4) and focused on users’ experience (µ=3.2).