Technology Transfer and Software Localisation Challenges in Nigerian Agritech Firms

Agricultural technology startups in Nigeria frequently adopt software solutions originally designed for international markets, encountering significant localisation and technology transfer challenges in adapting them to Nigerian farming contexts. This study investigates technology transfer and software localisation practices in Nigerian agritech firms, with a focus on companies operating in the North West (Kano, Kaduna) and North East (Gombe, Adamawa) zones where smallholder agriculture is predominant. The research adopts a qualitative multiple case study design, drawing on interviews with founders, software engineers, and users at eight agritech firms. Thematic analysis identifies recurring localisation challenges including local language interface adaptation (Hausa, Fulfulde), USSD fallback for low-connectivity farming communities, offline-first data architecture requirements, and calendar customisation for Islamic farming calendars. The study evaluates current localisation approaches against internationalisation (i18n) and localisation (l10n) software engineering frameworks. Findings show that most firms underinvest in structured localisation, treating it as an afterthought rather than a design requirement. Professional recommendations include establishing i18n engineering standards at the product architecture stage, forming partnerships with National Language Translation Centres for formal language resource development, and engaging community validators during user acceptance testing. Keywords: software localisation, agritech, technology transfer, Nigeria, internationalisation