AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY,PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFRON THE URGENT NEED TO RETHINK AND SUSPEND THE FRANCE–NIGERIA TAX AGREEMENT

AN OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY,
PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR
ON THE URGENT NEED TO RETHINK AND SUSPEND THE FRANCE–NIGERIA TAX AGREEMENT

Your Excellency,

We write this open letter with deep respect for your office and with a strong sense of civic responsibility, driven by growing national concern over the recently announced cooperation between Nigeria and the Government of France in relation to the new tax reform framework.

Mr. President, Nigerians recognise the urgent need for tax reform. With declining oil revenues, rising debt obligations, and the need to fund critical infrastructure, improving tax efficiency is both necessary and inevitable. However, how this reform is pursued is just as important as why it is pursued.

The reported agreement involving France in Nigeria’s tax system has raised serious questions about sovereignty, transparency, local capacity, and the welfare of Nigerian citizens. These concerns are not rooted in politics or resistance to reform, but in the fear that Nigeria may be walking into a path of dangerous dependency at a time when national self-reliance should be prioritised.

Concerns Over National Sovereignty and Data Security

Tax administration is not just a technical function; it is a core element of national sovereignty. It involves sensitive data about citizens, businesses, income, consumption, and economic behaviour. Any arrangement that gives a foreign government advisory, operational, or technical influence over such systems — whether directly or indirectly — creates fear and mistrust among the populace.

Mr. President, Nigerians deserve full clarity on:

• The scope of France’s involvement

• The level of access to tax systems or data

• The duration and exit framework of the agreement

• Safeguards protecting Nigeria’s independence

Without full public disclosure, suspicion will continue to grow.

Neglect of Nigerian Tech Experts and Local Capacity

Nigeria is blessed with highly skilled technology professionals, fintech innovators, data engineers, and digital governance experts who already design and manage complex financial systems used locally and globally.

By turning to a foreign government instead of deliberately empowering Nigerian experts and firms, the nation sends an unintended message that local competence is inferior, thereby worsening brain drain and weakening institutional confidence.

Mr. President, Nigeria does not lack capacity — it lacks political trust in its own people.

Impact on Citizens and Small Businesses

Millions of Nigerians are already struggling with:

• High inflation

• Unemployment

• Rising cost of living

• Multiple and overlapping taxes

A more aggressive and digitised tax regime — especially one perceived as foreign-driven — risks pushing citizens and MSMEs into deeper hardship. Taxation without visible improvement in electricity, healthcare, education, and security feels like punishment, not governance.

When citizens begin to describe taxation as “economic slavery,” it is a signal that trust in the social contract is breaking down.

Our Humble Appeal

Your Excellency, we respectfully call on you to:

1. Immediately suspend and review the France–Nigeria tax agreement

2. Order full public disclosure of the deal’s terms and implications

3. Prioritise Nigerian-led tax technology solutions, supported by local experts

4. Engage stakeholders openly — including MSMEs, tech bodies, labour unions, and civil society

5. Ensure that tax reform is people-centred, transparent, and development-driven

Nigeria’s tax reform must strengthen independence, not dependency. It must empower citizens, not alienate them. It must build local institutions, not outsource national competence.

Conclusion

Mr. President, history will remember this administration not just for the reforms it introduced, but for whether those reforms restored confidence, protected sovereignty, and empowered Nigerians.

We urge you to listen to the growing voice of concern across the nation and to act decisively in the interest of transparency, trust, and national dignity.

Nigeria’s future must be built by Nigerians, for Nigerians.

Respectfully,

Concerned Nigerians,
Civic Advocates,
MSMEs, and Nigerian Professionals