The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has faulted the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the French tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, warning that the agreement poses serious security, sovereignty, and economic risks to Nigeria.
PRP National Chairman, Falalu Bello, in a statement issued on Monday, described the MoU, focused on digital transformation and information exchange, as a dangerous move capable of exposing Nigeria’s tax infrastructure and fiscal data to foreign influence.
The party argued that granting any level of access to a foreign government over Nigeria’s tax systems undermines the country’s economic independence and weakens its ability to design policies that reflect national interests.
According to Bello, foreign-controlled digital platforms could expose Nigeria to surveillance, data exploitation, and economic sabotage, while offering external powers undue strategic leverage in future trade negotiations, investments, and loan agreements.
He described the action of the Bola Tinubu-led administration as retrogressive and neo-colonialist, insisting that Nigeria’s tax reforms and digital infrastructure must remain fully domesticated.
The PRP called for the immediate termination of the FIRS–France MoU and urged the Federal Government to rely on indigenous institutions and technology firms such as the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), Interswitch, Flutterwave and Paystack to drive digital tax reforms.
The party said, “Any nation that cedes control of its tax data to foreign entities risks becoming a puppet in the global financial system. Such dependency erodes Nigeria’s economic independence and undermines our ability to craft policies that serve our people’s interests. No country with a sovereign future willingly subjects its fiscal backbone to external control.
“Foreign-controlled digital systems open the door to mass surveillance, digital exploitation, and potential misuse of sensitive Nigerian data. They expose our citizens and institutions to espionage, digital colonization, and economic sabotage, threatening our national security and integrity.
“Real-time visibility into Nigeria’s thriving sectors and struggling industries gives France, an external power, unwarranted leverage in future trade negotiations, investments, and loan agreements.”
The PRP insisted that the full implementation of Nigeria’s tax reforms must remain entirely in Nigerian hands, stressing that foreign entities should have no access to Nigerian tax data, financial transactions or digital records.
According to Bello, homegrown institutions such as NIBSS, Flutterwave, Paystack and Interswitch should be contracted to develop and manage Nigeria’s tax technology, adding that “all foreign-led proposals, including the FIRS–France MoU, must be terminated immediately.”
Beyond the MoU, the party also raised concerns over the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a Treasury Single Account (TSA) collecting agent, warning that the move could replicate what it described as a cartel-driven revenue collection model previously associated with Lagos State.
The PRP questioned the necessity of appointing a new collecting agent in the face of improved revenue performance and demanded transparency regarding the ownership structure of Xpress Payment Solutions, the commission it earns and whether the appointment complied with open and competitive procurement processes.
It further called on the National Assembly to urgently enact data sovereignty safeguards ahead of the commencement of the new tax law in January 2026, warning that Nigeria’s tax data remains the backbone of the economy and must not be surrendered to foreign control.
However, the FIRS has defended the MoU, following concerns raised by stakeholders, describing it as a standard international cooperation framework focused on advisory support, knowledge sharing and capacity building.
In a statement signed by its Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the Executive Chairman, Aderonke Atoyebi, the Service said the agreement does not grant France access to Nigeria’s tax systems or individual taxpayer data and fully complies with Nigeria’s data protection laws.
The agency also dismissed claims that the MoU sidelines local technology firms, maintaining that indigenous platforms remain central to its operations.
On concerns surrounding Xpress Payment Solutions Limited, the FIRS explained that Nigeria operates a multi-channel revenue collection system involving platforms such as Remita, Quickteller, Etranzact, Flutterwave and XpressPay, insisting that no single private entity controls government revenue collection.
