By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
PUBLIC DISCUSSION around a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nigeria and France has drawn an official response from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which says the agreement does not compromise national sovereignty or taxpayer data.
Concerns raised in recent reports and online commentary prompted the clarification, as the tax authority addressed claims surrounding the memorandum signed with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGdFP), the government institution.
The service said it had observed the commentary and acknowledged public vigilance and patriotic concern, while stressing the need to provide clarity on the actual scope of the agreement.
A statement issued on the official X handle of the FIRS said the memorandum is a standard and globally recognised cooperation framework focused strictly on technical assistance and capacity building.
The service said the agreement does not grant France access to Nigerian taxpayer data, digital systems or any aspect of Nigeria’s operational tax infrastructure.
Rather, the release said all existing Nigerian laws on data protection, cybersecurity and sovereignty remain fully applicable and are being strictly enforced adding that these legal safeguards continue to guide all engagements entered into by the service.
The statement also referenced the Nigeria Revenue Service, noting that the agency, like its predecessor the FIRS, places the highest premium on national security. It said rigorous standards remain in place for the protection of all taxpayer information.
The service said similar memoranda are routinely signed by tax administrations across the world to promote collaboration, knowledge exchange and the adoption of global best practices describing the DGdFP as one of the world’s most advanced tax authorities, with more than a century of institutional experience and extensive expertise in digital transformation, taxpayer services, governance and public finance.
This partnership, according to the release, enables Nigeria to learn from that experience. It said the arrangement is advisory, non-intrusive and entirely under Nigeria’s control, with no transfer of authority or operational power to the French tax administration.
Addressing claims that the agreement could sideline domestic technology firms, the service said the MoU does not displace local technology providers stating that the FIRS and the emerging Nigeria Revenue Service continue to work closely with Nigerian innovators, including the Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Interswitch, PayStack and Flutterwave.
Also, the release said the MoU does not include the provision of technical services adding that the agreement is limited to knowledge sharing, institutional strengthening, workforce development, policy support and best practice guidance.
The service said misconceptions surrounding the agreement had created an inaccurate public narrative noting that the content and purpose of the MoU have been misrepresented in some quarters and urged that discussions on tax reforms should reflect the actual terms of the agreement.
