FIRS, French Tax Agency partner on digital transformation 

Zacch Adedeji, Chairman, Nigeria’s Revenue Service (NRS)

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and its French counterpart, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFP), on Wednesday, signed a memorandum of understanding on areas of mutual interests and promotion of efficient tax administration.

This is preparatory to FIRS transitions to Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) next month.

Speaking at the French Embassy in Abuja where the event took place, Zacch Adedeji, FIRS chairman who signed for FIRS said the event reflects a shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient, and more forward-looking tax administrations for the two countries.

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Marc Fonbaustier, the French Ambassador to Nigeria who signed on behalf of DGFP, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the two countries.

Adedeji, in a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, his Special Adviser on Media, listed digital transformation as one of such critical areas where Nigeria can leverage France’s advanced use of technology in compliance management, taxpayer services, and data-driven enforcement.

According to him, France will in return gain “fresh perspectives from Nigeria’s rapid digital expansion, our agile adoption of new tools, and the unique solutions we are developing for a fast-growing, technology-driven population.”

“This two-way exchange is essential as both countries adapt to emerging challenges such as Artificial Intelligence deployment, cybersecurity, and cross-border taxation,” Adedeji said.

Revealing that Nigeria will deliberately engage more with similar global partners, he said the partnership between France and Nigeria will enable the tax institutions to exchange ideas, share innovations, and learn from each other’s experiences.

“Another important aspect is workforce development. While we look forward to learning from France’s well-structured human capital systems, particularly in professional standards, continuous learning, and organizational discipline, we also believe that our experience in managing a young, dynamic and diverse workforce will offer valuable insights to DGFIP.

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“Together, we can develop models that strengthen institutional culture, build global competencies, and prepare our respective institutions for the future of public finance administration.

“We also anticipate strong bilateral cooperation in international taxation, exchange of information, transfer pricing, and Base Erosion and Profit Shifting BEPS-related work.

“As economic activities become increasingly borderless, the ability of both our institutions to collaborate, share intelligence, and harmonise approaches will be crucial. This MoU provides exactly the platform we need to deepen that cooperation.

“As Nigeria moves into the era of the Nigerian Revenue Service, we see this partnership as a cornerstone of our transformation, one that will help us build a revenue administration that is modern, trusted, innovative, and globally connected,” the statement quoted Adedeji to have said.

Iheanyi Nwachukwu, is a creative content writer with almost two decades journalism experience writing on banking, finance, capital markets, and tax. The multiple awards winning journalist is Assistant Editor, BusinessDay. Iheanyi holds BSc Degree in Economics from Imo State University; Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Management from University of Lagos.

Iheanyi has attended several work-related trainings including (i) Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (Pan African University, Lagos); (ii) News Agency Journalism (Indian Institute of Mass Communication {IIMC}, New Delhi, India); and (iii) Capital Markets Development and Regulations (International Law Institute {ILI} of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA).

Other trainings Iheanyi attended include: Economic/Political Risk Analysis (By Thomson Reuters Foundation); International Financial Journalism (IFJ) (By PMA Media Training, UK); Effective Business Writing Skills (By Phillips Consulting); Reporting on Corporate Governance (By International Finance Corporation (IFC) & Thomson Reuters Foundation UK); etc. In addition, he has participated in high-level economy & markets events in Dubai, South Africa, Morocco, and other African countries like Zambia, Ghana and Gambia.

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