PRP condemns FIRS–France tax agreement, warns of sovereignty risks

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The Peoples Redemption Party on Monday rejected the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Inland Revenue Service and France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques on digital transformation and information exchange.

In a statement issued in Abuja, PRP National Chairman, Falalu Bello, described it as a grave threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy and national security.

The opposition party also faulted the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a Treasury Single Account (TSA) revenue-collecting agent, warning that the move could replicate what it called the “dangerous model” of revenue cartels previously seen in Lagos State.

“The signing of an MoU by the FIRS with DGFP is a reckless act of outsourcing Nigeria’s tax data management to a foreign government. It poses grave threats to our sovereignty, economy, and national security,” Bello said.

The party chair dismissed assurances by the FIRS that the agreement does not hand over Nigeria’s taxpayer data, insisting that its objections would stand until the full contents of the MoU are made public.

“Despite the public statement by the FIRS defending the MoU, our concerns and objections regarding the agreement remain fully valid until the content of the MoU is made public. We believe such assurances do not mitigate the inherent risks of relinquishing control over Nigeria’s critical fiscal data to a foreign entity,” he added.

According to the PRP, ceding tax data control to external actors undermines economic independence and policy autonomy. It warned that foreign-controlled digital systems could expose Nigeria to surveillance, data exploitation and economic sabotage.

“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 the interests of our people.

“No country with a sovereign future willingly subjects its fiscal backbone to external control,” the party stated.

Bello further argued that access to real-time tax and sectoral data would hand France undue leverage in future trade, investment and loan negotiations.

While accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of pursuing what it described as a neo-colonialist agenda, the PRP called for the immediate termination of the MoU and urged that Nigeria’s tax reforms be handled strictly by local institutions such as Flutterwave, PayStack, Interswitch, and others.

On the appointment of Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a TSA collecting agent, the PRP raised questions about transparency, procurement process and cost to the treasury.

“Equally concerning is the decision of the APC Bola Tinubu administration to appoint Xpress Payment Solutions Limited as a Treasury Single Account (TSA) collecting agent by the FIRS,” it said.

Bello urged the National Assembly to urgently enact data-sovereignty safeguards before the commencement of the new tax regime in January 2026 and to investigate the Xpress Payment appointment.

The party also called on civil society groups and Nigerians to resist what it described as dangerous precedents.

The PRP’s position adds to growing opposition criticism of the FIRS–France agreement.

The PUNCH reported earlier that the African Democratic Congress demanded full disclosure of the MoU, warning that the deal could compromise Nigeria’s data security and national sovereignty.

In a recent statement issued in Abuja, ADC spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, said expert reviews had highlighted “overwhelming concern that the agreement potentially endangers Nigeria’s data security and exposes strategic national economic information to foreign exploitation.”

The ADC criticised the FIRS for failing to explain what France stands to gain from the agreement and for proceeding without adequate public consultation or engagement with the National Assembly.

The opposition party called for the immediate publication of the agreement or its termination, a position echoed by the Northern Elders Forum.

In reaction, the FIRS has defended the MoU, describing it as a standard international cooperation framework centred on advisory support, knowledge sharing and capacity building, without granting France access to Nigerian tax systems or individual taxpayer data.

The agency said the agreement complies with Nigeria’s data protection laws and does not sideline local payment or technology firms.

On the controversy surrounding Xpress Payment Solutions Limited, the FIRS dismissed claims of monopoly or exclusivity, stating that it operates a multi-channel revenue collection framework.

In a statement signed by its Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the Executive Chairman, Aderonke Atoyebi, the agency said it currently works with several platforms, including Quickteller, Remita, Etranzact, Flutterwave and XpressPay, insisting that no single private entity controls government revenue collection.

Despite the clarification, opposition parties say the issues of transparency, data sovereignty and procurement integrity remain unresolved and require urgent legislative scrutiny.

The PUNCH journalist, Adebayo, has over 20 years of experience covering politics, health, metro, entertainment and properties

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