Grammy Award-winning South African pop star Tyla has dropped the Lagos, Nigeria stop from her upcoming APOP World Tour itinerary following intense online public backlash and calls for a total boycott by Nigerian fans.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Tyla dropped Lagos from her world tour days after a heated social media debate surrounding renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant sentiment targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, in South Africa.
A check on the official tour website of Tyla on Friday showed that the Lagos stop, which was previously listed for December 22, had been removed from the itinerary.
The updated schedule retains all previously announced dates across Europe, North America and South Africa, but no longer includes Nigeria.
Recall that on Monday, Tyla unveiled the APOP World Tour, with Lagos listed as the only Nigerian stop before the tour concluded with performances in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.
The announcement sparked heated reactions on social media, with some Nigerians urging a boycott of the concert in protest against the xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Some social media users argued that no South African artiste should perform in Nigeria while reports of attacks on Nigerians continued, while others maintained that musicians should not be held responsible for political or social issues.
The controversy deepened on Thursday after activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his “Ratel Movement” to stop the concert if it went ahead.
In a post on his Facebook page, Otse wrote, “TYLA SHOW WILL NOT BE HAPPENING IN NIGERIA.
“This is a message to SOUTH AFRICANS. WE ARE AFRICANS, AND WE DON’T UNALIVE OUR OWN. Since you people have taken it upon yourselves to unalive other Africans because, according to you guys, other African nationalities living in South Africa are taking your jobs.
“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.
“#NOTOXENOPHOBICATTACKS #ratelmovement SAYNOTOXENOPHOBICATTACKS.”
Earlier, the 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, opposed the boycott campaign, saying Nigerians should not blame Tyla for xenophobic attacks.
“Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies… No one should hold a talented musician like @Tyllaaaaaaa 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 concerns over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa following reports of alleged xenophobic attacks and the death of Nigerian nationals, including one Chika Ibe in Cape Town.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Tyla nor her management had publicly explained why the Lagos concert was removed from the tour schedule.
Neither had the concert promoters announced a cancellation or postponement of the show.
