THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that Nigeria’s recently signed digital tax agreement with France could compromise the country’s data security and expose sensitive economic information to foreign interests.

In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC supported reforms aimed at modernising Nigeria’s tax system but described the process leading to the agreement as opaque and potentially dangerous to national sovereignty.

According to the party, the agreement, which was signed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on behalf of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, raised serious concerns about transparency, data protection and national security, especially as it came ahead of the January 1, 2026 rollout of new national tax policies.

While the Nigerian government had stepped up public engagement to ease concerns over the tax reforms, the ADC said the digital tax deal had been concluded hurriedly and in secrecy, without public disclosure or legislative scrutiny.

“We have carefully reviewed expert opinions on the digital tax reform and revenue administration agreement with France, and the concerns are overwhelming. The agreement potentially endangers Nigeria’s data security and exposes strategic national economic information to foreign exploitation.” the ADC spokesman said.

The ADC noted that explanations offered by the FIRS had failed to address these concerns or demonstrate that the deal served Nigeria’s best interests.

The party also questioned the commercial logic of the agreement, noting that while the government had outlined what Nigeria stood to gain, it had remained silent on France’s benefits.

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“Tax agreements are business arrangements, not acts of charity,” the statement said. “What exactly does France gain from this deal, and why were Nigerians not allowed to see its full terms before it was signed?”

Beyond economic concerns, the ADC said the agreement must be viewed within a wider regional context, as France’s influence in West Africa continued to face growing resistance, with several former colonies distancing themselves from Paris.

“Yet, under the Tinubu administration, Nigeria appears eager to deepen strategic ties with France at a time when others are reassessing theirs,” the party said.

The ADC also argued that the agreement undermined Nigeria’s local content policy, which sought to build domestic capacity and limit capital flight.

“With several competent Nigerian service providers in the digital and tax administration space, the government’s preference for a foreign partner raises further questions,” it said.

The party called on the federal government to immediately publish the full terms of the agreement, brief the National Assembly, and subject the deal to an independent review focusing on data security, cybersecurity and national sovereignty.

“Failing this,” the ADC said, “the agreement should be terminated in the national interest.”

Northern elders demand termination of deal

Meanwhile, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has warned that the agreement poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and national security.

Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, NEF Spokesman

In a letter, signed by NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the group said:  “The Northern Elders Forum writes today with grave concern and an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty. 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.

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“Yesterday’s signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the French tax authority, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP), is not a harmless technical collaboration.

“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 led to economic manipulation, political pressure, and strategic domination.”

The group warned that granting a foreign government access to Nigeria’s tax data undermined the country’s economic independence and placed its fiscal future at risk.

NEF warned that France’s historical engagements in Africa had often resulted in economic manipulation, political pressure and long-term dependency, stressing that Nigeria should not to repeat past mistakes made by other African nations.

MoU doesn’t give France access to data -FIRS

Meanwhile, the FIRS has defended the deal, saying that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) it signed with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) would not give France access to Nigerian taxpayers’ data or systems.

“MoU is a standard, globally recognised cooperation framework focused solely on technical assistance and capacity building. It does not grant France access to Nigerian taxpayers’ data, digital systems, or any element of our operational infrastructure,” the FIRS said.

“All existing Nigerian laws on data protection, cybersecurity, and sovereignty remain fully applicable and strictly enforced. The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), like its predecessor (FIRS), places the highest premium on national security and maintains rigorous standards for the protection of all taxpayers’ information.”