THE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has taken a swipe at FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, condemning their recent social media advert for their Peak Milk brand, which used the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as a metaphor.
The advert, which was released on Good Friday, has been deemed highly offensive by the Christian community in Nigeria.
General Secretary of CAN, Barr. Joseph Daramola, in a scathing press statement, said that the advert was not only insensitive but also disrespectful to the Christian faith and its followers.
He further added that CAN was considering imposing sanctions against the company in the form of a product boycott.
The controversy has sparked a heated debate on social media, with many Nigerians expressing their outrage at the company’s insensitivity towards religious sentiments.
This is not the first time a Nigerian company has faced backlash for using religious imagery in their adverts. In 2022, Sterling Bank faced a similar backlash for their advert which depicted the resurrection of Christ Jesus using Agege Bread, while urging people to purchase their financial services.
“We find this advert to be insensitive, offensive, and totally unacceptable. Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians all over the world, a day we commemorate the death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross for our sins. It is not a day to be used for crass commercial purposes.
“FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC’s action is not only disrespectful to the Christian faith but also an affront to the millions of Christians in Nigeria and beyond,” CAN stated.
The Christian community in Nigeria has called on FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC to issue an immediate apology and withdraw the offensive advert.
“We are deeply disappointed that a company of such repute would stoop so low to exploit the religious sentiments of its customers for profit.
“We are considering sanctions against FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, including a boycott of their products by our members and all well-meaning Nigerians who share our concerns.
“We call on the company to issue an unreserved apology to the Christian community and withdraw the offensive advert immediately,” Daramola added.
As of now, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria PLC has not released any official statement regarding the controversy.
