Prepared to take off on a strong footing when it transitions to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) next month, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and its French counterpart, Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFP), on Wednesday, signed a memorandum of understanding on areas of mutual interest and promotion of efficient tax administration.

Speaking at the French Embassy in Abuja, where the event took place, FIRS chairman Zacch Adedeji, who signed for FIRS, said the event reflects a shared commitment to building stronger, more resilient, and more forward-looking tax administrations for the two countries.

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, who signed on behalf of DGFP, emphasised the importance of collaboration between the two countries. 

Adedeji, in a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, his special adviser on media, listed digital transformation as one such critical area where Nigeria can leverage France’s advanced use of technology in compliance management, taxpayer services, and data-driven enforcement.

According to him, France will in return gain “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.”

“This two-way exchange is essential as both countries adapt to emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence deployment, cybersecurity, and cross-border taxation,” Adedeji said.

Revealing that Nigeria will deliberately engage more with similar global partners, he said the partnership between France and Nigeria will enable the tax institutions to exchange ideas, share innovations, and learn from each other’s experiences.

“Another important aspect 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, 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.

“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.