The National Film and Video Censors Board has defended its approval of the Nollywood film A Very Dirty Christmas, saying 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

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.

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.