Northern Elders Ask Tinubu to Halt Nigeria-France Tax Data MoU, Give Reason
- Northern Elders Forum has urged President Tinubu to halt the tax data MoU signed between the FIRS and the French tax authority
- The group warned that the agreement threatens Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and national security to foreign control
- NEF also called for strict data sovereignty laws and full local control of tax infrastructure
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately halt and terminate the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and France’s tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP).
The forum warned that the agreement poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s economic sovereignty, national security, and data independence.
Source: Twitter
In an open letter addressed to the Federal Government, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, the elders described the MoU as a “dangerous tax data agreement” that could grant a foreign government access to Nigeria’s most sensitive fiscal information.
The letter, signed by NEF spokesperson Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, said the deal goes far beyond routine technical cooperation and risks exposing the core of Nigeria’s tax infrastructure to external influence.
“The Northern Elders Forum writes today with grave concern and an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty,” the letter stated. “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.”
According to the forum, the MoU signed between FIRS and the French tax authority is not a harmless administrative arrangement.
“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 resulted in economic manipulation, political pressure, and strategic domination,” the letter added.
NEF calls for immediate action
As part of its demands, the NEF urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to immediately terminate the FIRS–France MoU and ensure Nigeria’s tax data remains fully under Nigerian control.
NEF added that:
"Engage only Nigerian-owned technology firms to build and manage tax infrastructure, reintroduce and pass data-sovereignty amendments before the Nigeria Revenue Service begins operations in January 2026; Prohibit any foreign entity from processing or storing Nigeria’s tax data"
The elders also criticised what they described as legislative lapses, arguing that stronger data-sovereignty provisions could have prevented the agreement from being signed without parliamentary oversight.
Source: Twitter
They further questioned why local technology firms were sidelined, noting that Nigerian-owned companies have successfully built globally competitive fintech and digital payment platforms.
“The FIRS–France deal is not aid. It is an entry, entry into our economic bloodstream,” Jiddere said.
In what it described as a final warning, the NEF cautioned Nigeria against replacing colonial rule with what it termed digital colonialism disguised as cooperation.
‘Nigeria must not repeat Africa’s past mistakes’
Jiddere noted that several African countries had spent decades trying to reclaim economic control after allowing external powers deep access to their internal systems.
“Wherever its influence has settled, African countries have fought for decades to reclaim economic independence,” he said. “Nigeria must not walk into the same trap with open eyes.”
The forum stressed that the current security and economic challenges facing the country make the timing of the agreement particularly troubling.
“With insecurity ravaging our communities, the naira under pressure, unemployment high, and 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,” Jiddere warned.
Fears over sovereignty and security
The NEF argued that granting a foreign state access to Nigeria’s tax data undermines the country’s fiscal independence and exposes it to economic espionage, surveillance, and possible geopolitical blackmail.
The forum warned that access to such data could reveal critical information about Nigeria’s strategic sectors, revenue flows, and investment patterns.
“No serious country hands such power to another state,” the elders said.
They also cautioned that France’s historical involvement in several African countries has often led to long-term dependency, urging Nigeria not to repeat what they described as costly mistakes made elsewhere on the continent.
FG clarifies on 4% development levy
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS has moved to calm rising concerns over Nigeria’s new tax laws, explaining that the much-debated four per cent Development Levy on imported products is not a fresh charge.
Instead, it’s a consolidation of several pre-existing levies that businesses were already paying in separate streams.
The clarification comes as the Nigeria Tax Act and the Nigeria Tax Administration Act continue to spark debate across the country.
Northern elders break silence on rumours of internal rift
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has debunked any claim about internal conflict within the organisation
NEF said it "remains a united and cohesive body, bound by a common vision and unwavering commitment to the development and betterment of the northern region”
Legit.ng reports that NEF is popular for engaging presidential hopefuls in West Africa's largest democracy, Nigeria.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
