The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government to provide Nigerians with full details of the recent agreement on digital tax reform and revenue administration signed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) with the French government.
In a statement on Sunday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said that while it supports efforts to modernize Nigeria’s tax system, the process raises serious concerns about transparency, national sovereignty, and the protection of citizens’ data.
“We note the overwhelming concern that the agreement potentially endangers Nigeria’s data security and exposes strategic national economic information to foreign exploitation,” the party stated.
The ADC added that attempts by FIRS to address these concerns have failed to convince Nigerians that the agreement serves the country’s best interest. “Tax matters are about business, not charity,” the statement emphasized, criticizing the haste with which the deal was concluded.
While the FIRS has outlined potential benefits for Nigeria, the ADC said it remains unclear what France stands to gain. The party questioned why such a critical agreement, which could infringe on national security and sovereignty, was signed without public disclosure, consultation with the National Assembly, or meaningful engagement with Nigerians.
The ADC also highlighted regional concerns, noting that several former French colonies in West Africa are severing neo-colonial ties with France. “Yet, under the Bola Tinubu administration, Nigeria appears to have become more Francophone than the French,” the party said.
The statement further reminded the government that Nigeria’s local content policy is intended to develop national human capital and reduce capital flight by promoting domestic industries. It questioned why the administration appears to prioritize French involvement over competent Nigerian service providers in the financial sector.
“These tax reforms should strengthen national institutions and build local capacity, not create new dependencies or hand over strategic control of our economic intelligence to external actors,” the ADC said.
The party demanded full publication of the agreement, a 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 the agreement should be terminated,” the ADC asserted.
