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Nigeria’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said a tax cooperation agreement signed with France does not grant foreign authorities access to Nigerian taxpayer data or digital systems, following public commentary on the deal.
FIRS, in a statement on Saturday, said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) does not provide France with access to taxpayer records, databases or any part of Nigeria’s tax administration infrastructure. It added that Nigerian laws on data protection, cybersecurity and national sovereignty remain fully applicable.
According to FIRS, the MoU is similar to cooperation frameworks used by tax authorities in other countries to support knowledge exchange and institutional development.
“The MoU is a standard, globally recognised cooperation framework focused solely on technical assistance and capacity building. It does not grant France access to Nigerian taxpayer data, digital systems, or any element of our operational infrastructure,” FIRS’s statement read.
“All existing Nigerian laws on data protection, cybersecurity, and sovereignty remain fully applicable and strictly enforced.”
The agency added that the MoU does not include the provision of technical services, as it is limited only to knowledge sharing, institutional strengthening, workforce development, policy support, and best-practice guidance.
FIRS also addressed concerns that the agreement could affect local technology providers, saying the MoU does not displace Nigerian firms. It said the service continues to work with domestic payment and technology companies, including NIBSS, Interswitch, Paystack and Flutterwave.
