The African Democratic Congress on Sunday, demanded the full publication of the digital tax reform and revenue administration agreement recently signed between the Federal Inland Revenue Service and French government.
Few days ago, Nigeria decided to move ahead with a new tax partnership with France.
The deal gives Nigeria access to AI-powered audits, automated compliance systems, real-time economic analytics, and cybersecurity tools.
Under the agreement, Nigeria will share aggregated, anonymised economic information, including insights on multinational companies, transfer pricing, and profit-shifting practices, although officials have emphasised that no raw taxpayer files will leave the country.
However, this arrangement has raised eye brows with critics cautioning that even aggregated data could reveal key financial patterns, giving France insight into Nigeria’s economy and potentially affecting the country’s control over its fiscal policies.
In an X statement, ADC Spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi also warned that the secretive deal could compromise Nigeria’s data security and national sovereignty adding that the party’s review of expert opinions revealed significant risks.
He criticised the FIRS for failing to clarify what benefits France would derive from the deal, and without proper consultations with Nigerians.
The statement read, “Quite significantly, we note the overwhelming concern that the agreement potentially endangers Nigeria’s data security and exposes strategic national economic information to foreign exploitation.
“Attempts by the FIRS to explain these concerns away have failed to convince anyone that the agreement was done in the nation’s best interest, especially given the manner in which it was hurriedly and secretly packaged.
“Tax matters are about business, not charity. In entering into this business agreement, the FIRS has told us what Nigeria stands to benefit. However, it has failed to tell us what France stands to benefit from this deal.
“Why did the Federal Government of Nigeria enter into a serious agreement such as this, which potentially infringes on national security and sovereignty, without public disclosure of its full terms, without open engagement with the National Assembly, and without any meaningful effort to carry Nigerians along?”
He also criticised the federal government for embracing France even as the former colonies were loosening ties.
“Across West Africa, France’s role and influence are being openly questioned. Former French colonies are loosening or severing their neo-colonial ties with the country.
“Yet, under the Bola Tinubu administration, Nigeria appears to have become more Francophone than the French.”
Abdullahi argued that Nigeria should prioritise local content policies to develop domestic capacity rather than creating dependencies on external actors.
The opposition party demanded “for the full publication of this agreement, proper briefing of the National Assembly, and an independent assessment of its implications for data security, cybersecurity, and national sovereignty.
“The details of this closed-door arrangement must be published for all to see, or be terminated.”
This development is coming after the Northern Elders Forum also demanded the immediate termination of the agreement, warning that it undermines Nigeria’s economic independence.
However, the FIRS described the MoU as a “standard, globally recognised cooperation framework” focused on advisory support, knowledge sharing, and capacity building without granting France access to individual taxpayer data or Nigerian systems.
