FIRS, France seal strategic tax partnership

With just weeks to its formal transition into the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has taken another major step toward a new era of modern tax administration by signing a memorandum of understanding with France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFP).

The agreement, signed yesterday at the French Embassy in Abuja, sets the stage for deeper cooperation between both countries in technology, compliance, capacity development, and global tax coordination.

FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji, who signed on behalf of Nigeria, described the MoU as a strategic bridge between two tax authorities eager to strengthen expertise and share innovations. “This event reflects a shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient, and more forward-looking tax administrations for the two countries,” he said.

French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, who signed on behalf of DGFP, said the partnership offers a meaningful pathway for Nigeria and France to deepen their collaboration in the evolving global tax environment. His remarks reaffirmed France’s readiness to work closely with Nigeria as both nations confront new demands in public finance management.

Adedeji, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Dare Adekanmbi, said one of the most critical areas of collaboration is digital transformation. He explained that Nigeria stood to benefit considerably from France’s advanced deployment of technology in compliance management, taxpayer services, and data-driven enforcement. At the same time, he noted that France will also gain from Nigeria’s experience. According to him, France will receive “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.”

He added that the exchange of ideas between both countries will be timely as tax systems globally confront rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI) deployment, cybersecurity concerns, and cross-border taxation. “This two-way exchange is essential as both countries adapt to emerging challenges such as Artificial Intelligence deployment, cybersecurity, and cross-border taxation,” he said.

Adedeji also revealed that Nigeria intends to deepen engagement with more international partners as part of its future-looking tax administration strategy. He said the collaboration with France represents the type of global relationship that enables tax institutions to share innovations, strengthen compliance systems, and broaden operational capacity.

Speaking on workforce development, the FIRS Chairman said the partnership will help Nigeria learn from France’s structured human-capital systems, especially in areas such as professional standards, organisational discipline, and continuous learning. He stressed that Nigeria’s own experience working with a young, energetic and diverse workforce will also provide useful lessons for DGFP.

“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,” he said.

He expressed strong expectations that the collaboration will extend to international taxation, exchange of information, transfer pricing, and work relating to Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). Adedeji noted that as economic activities increasingly transcend borders, cooperation between tax authorities has become indispensable.

“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,” he said.

Adedeji linked the partnership to Nigeria’s broader transformation agenda as it prepares to take off as the NRS in January. “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,” he said.

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