CAN Condemns Nollywood Film “A Very Dirty Christmas”

CAN condemns Nollywood movie “A Very Dirty Christmas,” calling it offensive and urging producers to apologise and review the film’s title

The Christian Association of Nigeria has condemned the title of a new Nollywood movie, *A Very Dirty Christmas, describing it as offensive and disrespectful to the Christian faith. The statement was signed by CAN President Archbishop Daniel Okoh.

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CAN emphasised that Christmas is a sacred season commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, symbolising purity, peace, love, and redemption. Associating the celebration with the word “dirty,” the body said, diminishes its spiritual significance and reduces a solemn religious observance to something crude and sensational.

While acknowledging the importance of creative freedom, CAN called for responsible and sensitive expression, particularly in Nigeria’s religiously diverse society. The association stressed that creativity should promote unity and understanding rather than provoke or offend deeply held beliefs.

The Christian body expressed concern that a film with such a title passed regulatory and professional channels without adequate scrutiny. It therefore urged the National Film and Video Censors Board to explain how the title was approved for public exhibition, particularly during the Christmas season.

CAN also called on industry bodies, including the Actors Guild of Nigeria and other Nollywood stakeholders, to adopt clear guidelines on the use of religious themes and symbols in ways that respect faith communities.

The association appealed to the film’s producers and promoters, specifically Ini Edo, to reconsider the title, issue a public apology, and take deliberate steps to ensure sacred seasons and religious symbols are treated with dignity.

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“At a time when the nation is already facing serious moral and social challenges, actions that trivialise sacred values only deepen division and erode mutual respect,” the statement added.