FIRS signs strategic pact with France to modernise Nigeria’s tax administration
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has entered into a landmark cooperation agreement with the Government of France as part of efforts to upgrade Nigeria’s tax administration through enhanced digital systems, capacity building and strengthened cross-border tax enforcement.
The pact, signed ahead of the agency’s formal transition into the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) in January 2026, marks one of the most significant international collaborations undertaken by the FIRS in recent years. Officials described the agreement as central to Nigeria’s push for a more transparent, technology-driven and globally compliant revenue system.
According to senior FIRS executives present at the signing ceremony, the partnership will focus on deploying advanced digital tax tools, improving data exchange mechanisms, and boosting the capacity of Nigerian tax officials through targeted training modules delivered by French tax authorities and technical institutions.
The cooperation framework is also expected to support Nigeria’s efforts to curb profit-shifting, tax evasion and illicit financial flows, particularly by multinational companies operating across both jurisdictions. By improving cross-border enforcement procedures, the FIRS aims to align more closely with international tax principles and expand Nigeria’s ability to recover revenue lost through aggressive tax practices.
Officials noted that the timing of the agreement is strategic, as the FIRS is finalising structural and operational reforms ahead of its transformation into the Nigeria Revenue Service in 2026—a transition intended to streamline processes, improve public trust and significantly raise non-oil revenue performance.
The French delegation praised Nigeria’s ongoing modernisation drive and pledged long-term technical support. Both parties expressed confidence that the partnership would help Nigeria build a more efficient and transparent tax system capable of supporting national development priorities.
The agreement is expected to enter its implementation phase within the coming months, beginning with joint technical workshops and the deployment of digital assessment and compliance tools.
