NFVCB Defends ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’ Title
The National Film and Video Censors Board has defended its approval of the Nollywood film ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’.
The board said the title was cleared after a thorough review that found it did not insult or trivialise the Christian faith.
The Executive Director of the NFVCB, Dr Shaibu Husseini, gave the clarification on Wednesday via a series of posts on X, following public criticism of the film’s title by Christian groups.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the controversy followed the release and promotion of A Very Dirty Christmas, a Nollywood film produced by actress Ini Edo, which drew criticism from the Christian Association of Nigeria and other Christian groups.
However, Husseini said the film, including its title, was approved after regulators considered the narrative context and the creative intent of the producers.
According to him, the board interpreted the title as metaphorical rather than literal.
“During review, the title was interpreted as metaphorical rather than literal—understood as a reference to human conduct, moral contradictions, or social realities unfolding during a festive period, and not as an ascription of impropriety to Christmas as a sacred Christian event,” he said.
He explained that the title was assessed within the broader context of the storyline and themes, not as a direct commentary on Christmas itself.
He added that the film does not depict, reenact, mock or trivialise the nativity, the birth of Jesus Christ or any core Christian doctrine.
“There is no scene, dialogue, or imagery within the film that ridicules Christian worship or theology. In line with established regulatory principles, the NFVCB places significant emphasis on context and intent over isolated literary or semantic interpretations when exercising its statutory mandate,” he added.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
