• Said Nigeria must not replace colonialism with ‘digital

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called for the immediate termination of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the French tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP).

The forum warned that the agreement poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and national security.

In an open letter addressed to the Federal Government, the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Forum described the MoU as a “dangerous tax data agreement” that could expose Nigeria’s most sensitive economic information to foreign control.

The letter, signed by NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, said that the agreement goes beyond technical cooperation and represents what the group termed “an unprotected gateway into the heart of Nigeria’s tax infrastructure.”

The letter read, “The Northern Elders Forum writes today with grave concern and an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty. Nigeria stands at a crossroads, one that threatens the very pillars of our economic sovereignty, national security, and collective dignity as an independent African nation.

“Yesterday’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the French tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP), is not a harmless technical collaboration.

“It is a direct, unprotected gateway into the heart of Nigeria’s tax infrastructure, placing our most sensitive economic data into the hands of a foreign power whose engagements across Africa have historically led to economic manipulation, political pressure, and strategic domination.”

The NEF said that granting a foreign government access to Nigeria’s tax data undermines the country’s economic independence and places its fiscal future at risk.

The elders warned that France’s historical engagements in Africa have often resulted in economic manipulation, political pressure and long-term dependency, urging Nigeria not to repeat what they described as past mistakes made by other African nations.

As part of its demands, the NEF urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to immediately terminate the FIRS–France MoU; ensure Nigeria’s tax data remains 100 per cent in Nigerian hands; contract only Nigerian-owned technology companies to build and manage tax infrastructure; reintroduce and pass all data-sovereignty amendments before the Nigeria Revenue Service begins operations in January 2026; and prohibit any foreign entity from processing or storing Nigeria’s tax data.

Jiddere added, “Wherever its influence has settled, African countries have fought for decades to reclaim economic independence.

Several nations, after long periods of economic sabotage, extractive policies, and political interference, pushed France out of their internal systems because they realised too late the price of dependency.

“Nigeria must not walk into the same trap with open eyes. With insecurity ravaging our communities, with the naira under pressure, with unemployment high, and with foreign interests circling Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, this is not the time to mortgage our national pride or hand over our economic soul to any foreign state.

“The FIRS–France deal is not aid. It is an entry. Entry into our economic bloodstream. Dr Segun Adebayo, a respected national voice on data protection and fiscal independence, warned the nation months ago, clearly and publicly in his keynote address, ‘Protecting Our Tax Sovereignty’, and subsequent engagements at the National Assembly.

“Taxpayer data is national power. Allowing foreign control over this data is a threat to national security.”

According to the Forum, surrendering control of tax data exposes the country to economic espionage, mass surveillance and potential geopolitical blackmail, as foreign actors could gain insight into Nigeria’s strategic sectors, revenue flows and investment patterns, adding that, “No serious country hands such power to another state.”

The Forum also criticised what it described as a failure to protect Nigeria’s local technology ecosystem, noting that Nigerian-owned companies have built globally respected fintech and digital payment platforms.

The elders further blamed the development on what they called legislative lapses, arguing that proposed data-sovereignty amendments to existing laws could have prevented the MoU without parliamentary scrutiny.

Issuing what it described as a final warning, the Forum said Nigeria must not replace colonialism with “digital colonialism” or economic occupation disguised as cooperation.