By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

Nigeria’s main opposition Party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised a recently signed digital tax cooperation agreement between Nigeria and France, warning that the deal could compromise national sovereignty, data security, and public trust if its full terms are not made public.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it supports efforts to modernise Nigeria’s tax system but expressed deep concern over what it described as the opaque manner in which the agreement was negotiated and signed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on behalf of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.

The ADC said expert assessments of the agreement point to potential risks to Nigeria’s data security and the exposure of sensitive economic information to foreign interests. According to the party, explanations offered by the FIRS have failed to allay public concerns, particularly given what it described as the hurried and secretive process surrounding the deal.

“Tax matters are business, not charity,” the statement said, arguing that while the government has outlined Nigeria’s expected gains, it has not disclosed what France stands to benefit from the arrangement.

The party questioned why an agreement with possible implications for national security and economic sovereignty was concluded without full public disclosure, legislative oversight, or meaningful engagement with the National Assembly and other stakeholders.

The ADC also placed the agreement within the wider political dynamics of West Africa, noting that France’s influence in the region is increasingly being challenged as several former colonies reassess long-standing political and economic relationships.

“Yet,” the statement said, “under the Tinubu administration, Nigeria appears to be moving in the opposite direction, deepening its engagement with France at a time when such ties are being openly questioned across the region.”

Referencing Nigeria’s local content policy, the party questioned the need for foreign partnerships in areas where Nigerian professionals and institutions are already globally competitive. It argued that tax reforms should strengthen domestic capacity and institutions rather than create new external dependencies.

“These reforms should build local expertise and protect national economic intelligence,” the ADC said, “not transfer strategic control to external actors.”

The ADC called on the federal government to publish the full details of the agreement, brief the National Assembly, and commission an independent assessment of its implications for data protection, cybersecurity, and national sovereignty.

“If the details of this closed-door arrangement cannot be made public,” the party said, “the agreement should be terminated.”