South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos from the schedule of her APOP World Tour, days after her planned Nigerian concert sparked calls for a boycott over renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
The singer’s official tour website no longer lists Lagos as one of the tour destinations. The updated itinerary retains previously announced performances across Europe, North America and South Africa, but excludes Nigeria.
The Lagos concert had earlier been announced as the only Nigerian stop on the tour before the scheduled conclusion in Cape Town and Johannesburg next year.
The decision follows widespread debate on social media, where many Nigerians urged organisers to cancel the concert in protest against reports of renewed attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.
Some commentators argued that South African artistes should not perform in Nigeria while xenophobic violence against Nigerians persists. Others insisted entertainers should not be blamed for political or social tensions between the two countries.
The controversy intensified after social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his “Ratel Movement” to prevent the concert from taking place.
“Tyla show will not be happening in Nigeria,” Otse wrote on Facebook.
“We are standing in solidarity to say no to the promoters and celebrities from South Africa who have refused to speak up against these attacks on other Africans living in South Africa.”
Otse also called on South African public figures to condemn the reported attacks on foreign nationals, using the hashtags #NoToXenophobicAttacks and #RatelMovement.
However, former African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore opposed the boycott campaign, arguing that Tyla should not be held responsible for xenophobic attacks.
“Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies. No one should hold a talented musician like Tyla vicariously liable for the crimes of xenophobia,” Sowore wrote on X, adding that “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”
The removal of Lagos from the tour schedule comes amid renewed concern over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa following reports of alleged xenophobic attacks and the deaths of Nigerian nationals, including Chika Ibe in Cape Town.
As of the time of publication, neither Tyla nor her management has explained why the Lagos performance was removed from the tour schedule.
Concert promoters have also not announced whether the Lagos show has been cancelled or postponed.
