The African Democratic Congress ADC has expressed strong concerns over the recently signed digital tax reform and revenue administration agreement between the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS and the Government of France, warning that the deal may compromise Nigeria’s data security, economic intelligence, and national sovereignty.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the party said it had carefully reviewed expert opinions on the agreement, which was signed by the FIRS on behalf of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, and noted widespread concern over its implications for the country’s strategic interests.

According to the ADC, analysts and policy experts have raised serious questions about the potential exposure of sensitive national economic data to foreign access, arguing that the agreement risks placing critical financial intelligence in external hands.

The party faulted attempts by the FIRS to downplay these concerns, stating that official explanations have failed to convincingly demonstrate that the agreement was negotiated and executed in Nigeria’s best interest.

The ADC further questioned the process through which the agreement was reached, describing it as hurried and lacking transparency.

“Tax matters are about business, not charity,” the party said, noting that while the FIRS has outlined what Nigeria stands to gain from the agreement, it has failed to clearly disclose what France stands to benefit from the arrangement.

The party queried why such a far reaching agreement, with potential national security implications, was entered into without full public disclosure of its terms, meaningful engagement with the National Assembly, or adequate consultation with relevant stakeholders.

Beyond the technical concerns, the ADC placed the agreement within a broader political and regional context, pointing to the shifting dynamics of France’s influence across West Africa. It observed that several former French colonies are actively reassessing and severing long standing neo colonial ties, even as Nigeria appears to be deepening institutional dependence on France.

The party also raised concerns over the agreement’s implications for Nigeria’s local content policy, which was established to promote domestic capacity, reduce capital flight, and strengthen national institutions.

With Nigeria possessing a growing pool of competent and globally recognised service providers in the digital and data sector, the ADC questioned why the federal government would favour foreign partnerships over local expertise.

“These tax reforms should provide opportunities to strengthen national institutions and build local capacity,” the party said, “not to create new dependencies or hand over strategic control of our economic intelligence to external actors.”

The ADC therefore called for the immediate publication of the full terms of the agreement, a comprehensive briefing of the National Assembly, and an independent assessment of its implications for data security, cybersecurity, and national sovereignty.

The party warned that unless the details of the agreement are made public and subjected to democratic scrutiny, the arrangement should be terminated in the national interest.