Reporting by Punch Newspapers indicates that the Directorate of International Programmes at the Pan-African Dialogue Institute, located within the University of Uyo, has called for a rigorous national audit of the recently signed bilateral taxation agreement between Nigeria and France. Speaking during a media briefing organized to mark the 2026 African Day celebrations in Akwa Ibom State, the International President of the institute, Professor Effiong Udo, warned the Federal Government against entering lopsided diplomatic pacts that could systematically erode the country’s sovereign fiscal base. The scholarly body insisted that all future international economic treaties must be evaluated through strict metrics of mutual equity and developmental reciprocity.
The institute argued that a country’s economic self-determination and fiscal independence are deeply intertwined with its tax policies, urging African negotiators to look past glossy diplomatic language to prevent capital flight. Academic experts expressed worry that historical economic disparities often replicate themselves under modern diplomatic agreements if left unscrutinized. They maintained that Africa must consciously engage with global superpowers from an informed position of strategic self-interest, rather than executing deals that perpetuate fiscal dependency.
The group further urged the National Assembly and economic policymakers to foster domestic cross-border frameworks that encourage continental trade instead of heavily leaning toward treaties that favor Western conglomerates. They emphasized that protecting local industries from unfair tax disadvantages must remain a top priority for the present administration.
The policy critique was closely followed by Guardian Nigeria, which highlighted the body’s warning that “Nigerians and Africans generally must remain vigilant against any international frameworks capable of reproducing dependency.” Similarly, coverage by ThisDay brought attention to the institute’s ideological foundation, stating that “Pan-Africanism demands that Africa negotiate with the world from positions of dignity, intelligence, and strategic self-interest” to halt the continuous extraction of domestic wealth.
Echotitbits take: The call for a re-evaluation of the Nigeria-France tax treaty highlights a growing intellectual pushback against conventional bilateral agreements that may inadvertently favor multinational corporations over developing economies. As Nigeria seeks to expand its non-oil revenue, the government must strike a delicate balance between creating an attractive fiscal environment for foreign direct investment and preventing aggressive tax avoidance.
Source: The Guardian – https://guardian.ng/news/obi-demands-every-mou-on-tax-be-made-transparent/, May 28, 2026
Photo credit: ThisDayLive
