The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has asked President Bola Tinubu to cancel the memorandum of understanding between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP).
The forum said the agreement threatens Nigeria’s economic sovereignty and national security.
In an open letter to the Federal Government, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, the elders described the MoU as “dangerous”.
Abubakar Jika Jiddere, spokesperson of the NEF, said the deal could expose Nigeria’s sensitive tax and economic data to foreign interests.
He said the agreement was not a technical partnership but “an unprotected gateway into the heart of Nigeria’s tax infrastructure”.
“Nigeria stands at a crossroads. This deal threatens our economic sovereignty, national security and dignity as an independent African nation,” the elders said.
The NEF warned that granting a foreign government access to Nigeria’s tax data could expose the country to economic espionage, mass surveillance, and geopolitical blackmail.
The forum recalled France’s history of economic domination in parts of Africa, urging Nigeria not to repeat the mistakes of other countries.
“Wherever French influence has taken root, African countries have paid a heavy price. Nigeria must not walk into the same trap with open eyes,” the elders added.
The elders said the agreement comes amid worsening insecurity, pressure on the naira, rising unemployment, and increased foreign interest in Nigeria’s digital space.
“The FIRS–France deal is not aid. It is an entry — entry into our economic bloodstream,” the statement said.
The NEF criticised what it described as legislative lapses, saying data-sovereignty safeguards could have stopped the agreement before it was signed.
It also faulted the neglect of Nigeria’s local technology ecosystem, saying Nigerian firms are capable of managing the country’s tax infrastructure.
The forum warned against replacing colonialism with what it called “digital colonialism” disguised as cooperation.
The NEF demanded the immediate termination of the MoU and insisted that Nigeria’s tax data must remain fully under Nigerian control.
It said only Nigerian-owned technology firms should manage tax systems.
The forum also called for the passage of data-sovereignty laws before the Nigeria Revenue Service begins operations in January 2026 and demanded a total ban on foreign processing or storage of Nigeria’s tax data.
“The Northern Elders Forum will resist this deal with every moral, civic and constitutional tool available. This is no longer a policy issue. It is a matter of national survival,” the elders noted.