Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, has called on the Federal Government to make the full details of a recent tax cooperation agreement with France public and clear to Nigerians. He said that transparency is essential to build trust and accountability in reforms to the country’s tax system.
The agreement in question is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 10 December by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and France’s tax authority, the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP). It aims to promote more efficient tax administration, including modernising systems and improving compliance.
In a post on X, Obi said international partnerships are not inherently wrong but stressed that deals involving tax administration, revenue systems and data management must be open to public scrutiny. He expressed concern that such an important agreement appears to have been concluded without the full terms being made available or explained to Nigerians.
Obi argued that Nigerians deserve to know what the partnership is meant to achieve, which specific gaps it aims to address, why local experts cannot fill those gaps, and the exact benefits Nigeria stands to gain. He said that public confidence depends on such clear explanations.
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that Nigeria has many qualified tax professionals, advisory firms and internationally recognised consultancies already operating in the country. He questioned why external expertise was prioritised without a convincing public justification.
Obi also called on the government to publish the full text of the MoU and outline its objectives, scope and expected outcomes. He warned that agreements made without transparency could further erode trust in public institutions at a time when many Nigerians are already sceptical about how public revenue is managed.
His remarks add to wider calls from other political groups for greater openness over the tax pact and underscore public demand for accountability in government agreements.
