Preparatory to its transition to Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) next month, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it signed a memorandum of understanding with its French counterpart, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFP) on Wednesday on areas of mutual interests and promotion of efficient tax administration.
Speaking at the French Embassy in Abuja where the event took place, FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, signed the document on behalf of the FIRS, while the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, signed on behalf of DGFP.
Adedeji said the event was a reflection of a shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient, and more forward-looking tax administrations for the two countries, while Fonbaustier emphasised the importance of collaboration between Nigeria and France.
Adedeji, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Dare Adekanmbi, listed digital transformation as one of such critical areas where Nigeria could leverage France’s advanced use of technology in compliance management, taxpayer services, and data-driven enforcement.
Fonbaustier said France would, in return, gain “fresh perspectives from Nigeria’s rapid digital expansion, Nigeria’s agile adoption of new tools, and the unique solutions the country was developing for a fast-growing, technology-driven population.
The FIRS Chairman said the agreement with the French tax agency was a two-way exchange essential for both countries to adapt to emerging challenges, such as Artificial Intelligence deployment, cybersecurity, and cross-border taxation.
Nigeria, Adedeji said, would deliberately engage more with similar global partners, adding that the partnership between France and Nigeria would enable the tax institutions to exchange ideas, share innovations, and learn from each other’s experiences.
“Another important aspect of the partnership 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.
“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, he said the ability of both FIRS and DGFIP to collaborate, share intelligence, and harmonise approaches would be crucial.
He said the MoU between the two agencies provides exactly the platform Nigeria and France need to deepen their 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.
