A Very Dirty Christmas: UVA Calls on CAN and NFVCB to Respect Artistic Freedom

The recent controversy surrounding the Nollywood film A Very Dirty Christmas has once again brought to the fore the delicate but essential balance between the right to express religious or moral concerns and the equally important right to creative freedom.

At Unchained Vibes Africa, we celebrate the power of storytelling and creative expression as essential elements of a free, open and pluralistic society. We recognize that art, including film, literature, music and theatre, often explores difficult, complex and sometimes uncomfortable aspects of human experience. This is not only valid, but also necessary for collective reflection, growth and dialogue.

We wish to clearly state that religious bodies, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have every right to express criticism, disagreement or moral concern about any creative work. Critique, debate and peaceful protest are legitimate forms of expression in a plural society and are fully protected under the same constitutional freedoms that protect artistic expression.

However, the right to criticize does not extend to the right to pressure regulatory bodies into censorship or bans. When criticism crosses into institutional pressure aimed at compelling the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to restrict, ban or alter a creative work solely based on subjective offence, it risks undermining due process, artistic autonomy and the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression. Regulatory agencies must operate independently, guided by clear legal standards – not by public pressure rooted in religious, cultural or ideological disagreement.

It is important to emphasize that disagreement with art is not equivalent to harm, and offence alone is not sufficient justification for censorship. Creative works should be assessed in their full context, intent and content. They should not be reduced to titles, phrases, or assumptions. A Very Dirty Christmas, like many works of fiction, explores human relationships and moral contradictions; it is not an attack on faith, belief systems or religious identity.

Nigeria’s Constitution, alongside international human rights instruments to which the country is a signatory, protects both freedom of religion and freedom of expression. These rights are not mutually exclusive. One does not cancel the other. A healthy society allows religious voices to speak without silencing artists and allows artists to create without being subjected to coercive censorship.

We therefore call for:

• Respectful dialogue instead of restrictive action
• Public education on the limits of censorship and the scope of fundamental rights
• Institutional independence of regulatory bodies free from external pressure
• A cultural environment where disagreement leads to discussion, not suppression

At Unchained Vibes Africa, we will continue to stand against censorship in all its forms and to advocate for an informed public that understands the difference between criticism and control, belief and imposition, offence and illegality.

Art must remain free – not because it is always comfortable, but because freedom itself is not meant to be.