FIRS Chairman Hosts French Tax Officials Amid Transition to Nigeria Revenue Service
On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, received a high-powered delegation from the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFIP) of France, led by Amelie Verdier, at the FIRS headquarters in Abuja.
The visit represents a crucial step forward in the deepening of bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France, particularly in the area of modern tax administration and fiscal governance.
The engagement came at a defining moment in Nigeria’s revenue framework, as the country transitions from the Federal Inland Revenue Service to the newly established Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
This institutional shift is part of a comprehensive reform anchored in the Finance and Revenue Laws enacted in early 2025, aimed at streamlining tax collection, improving efficiency, and enhancing fiscal transparency.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr. Adedeji highlighted the strategic importance of the partnership with France in supporting Nigeria’s goal of building a world-class revenue administration.
“Our reform journey is not just about changing institutional names, but about fundamentally redefining how we administer taxes, relate with taxpayers, and align with global best practices,” he said. “We are committed to learning from countries with strong, efficient systems, and France’s DGFIP provides a rich model for this transformation.”
He further noted that the FIRS and soon, the NRS was prioritizing digital transformation, data-driven compliance systems, and robust taxpayer education as part of its modernization agenda.
He added that technical exchanges with DGFIP would offer Nigeria practical insights on tax intelligence, risk-based audits, and international tax cooperation.
In her remarks, Amelie Verdier, Director-General of DGFIP, commended Nigeria’s bold steps toward revenue reform and emphasized France’s willingness to support the process through institutional collaboration. She said the visit was aimed at identifying areas of mutual interest, such as tax digitization, capacity building, and policy harmonization.
Nigeria is taking significant steps, and we are pleased to be part of this transition by offering support based on our own experiences,” Verdier stated.
The French delegation and their Nigerian counterparts also discussed the potential for future memoranda of understanding, joint training programs, and peer learning initiatives to help bolster Nigeria’s domestic resource mobilization efforts.
With the NRS expected to fully assume operations in the coming months, stakeholders say this partnership signals Nigeria’s intention to deepen global integration in tax matters, adopt international standards, and create a more investor-friendly fiscal environment.
The visit concluded with a tour of the FIRS facility and a closed-door session between key officials of both agencies. As Nigeria enters a new era of tax administration, the collaboration with France stands as a symbol of confidence in the country’s reform agenda and its resolve to build a transparent and effective revenue system.
