Dare Babalola
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the full disclosure of the digital tax reform and revenue administration agreement recently signed between Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the French government.
This was contained in a statement signed by the party’s Spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi on Sunday and posted via his X account.
According to the ADC, 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 slammed the FIRS for not clarifying what benefits France would gain from the deal, adding that the process lacked 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?”
The party also took a swipe at the federal government for strengthening ties with France, even as its former colonies are moving to distance themselves.
“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,” ADC said.
Abdullahi argued that Nigeria should prioritise local content policies to develop domestic capacity rather than creating dependencies on external actors.
The ADC is therefore called “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.”
ADC’s statement follows that of the Northern Elders Forum, which demanded the immediate termination of the agreement, warning that it undermines Nigeria’s economic independence.
But the FIRS has defended the MoU, describing it 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.
In a public notice, the agency emphasised that the partnership adheres to Nigeria’s data protection laws and does not displace local innovators like NIBSS, Interswitch, PayStack, and Flutterwave.
