FIRS says MOU with DGFIP Won’t Compromise Nigeria Tax Data Sovereignty

• The partnership is advisory, non-intrusive, and mutually beneficial -Ahmed

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has clarified that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) is a strictly technical assistance and capacity-building framework.

The clarification comes after talks of concerns that the MOU is a means for foreign interests to gain control over Nigeria’s sovereign tax data.

On Thursday, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) signed an MoU with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP).

“At no point does it grant France access to Nigerian tax data, digital infrastructure, or operational control of our systems. All Nigerian laws regarding data protection, sovereignty, and cybersecurity remain fully in force, and the MoU includes robust confidentiality and data protection provisions,” Umar Ahmed, director, Intergovernmental Affairs, Federal Inland Revenue Service, said in a recent release.

The DGFiP is one of the world’s most sophisticated tax administrations, with over 100 years of institutional experience, a workforce exceeding 90,000 professionals, and globally recognised expertise in digital tax systems, institutional governance, taxpayer services, and public finance management.

Ahmed said that the partnership is advisory, non-intrusive, and mutually beneficial, designed to strengthen FIRS’ institutional capacity as it transitions into the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS).