South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos from her APOP World Tour itinerary, days after her planned December 22 concert in Nigeria triggered calls for a boycott over renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
A check on Tyla’s official tour website on Friday confirmed that the Lagos stop, previously scheduled for December 22, had been scrubbed from the schedule. The updated itinerary retains all previously announced dates across Europe, North America and South Africa, but no longer includes Nigeria.
The controversy erupted after Tyla unveiled the APOP World Tour on Monday, with Lagos listed as the sole Nigerian stop before the tour concluded with performances in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.
Social media swiftly erupted, with some Nigerians urging a boycott of the concert in protest against xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. While some argued that no South African artist should perform in Nigeria amid continued reports of attacks, others maintained that musicians should not be held accountable for political or social issues.
The backlash intensified on Thursday when activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his “Ratel Movement” to disrupt the concert if it proceeded. In a Facebook post, Otse wrote: “TYLA SHOW WILL NOT BE HAPPENING IN NIGERIA. This is a message to SOUTH AFRICANS. WE ARE AFRICANS AND WE DONT 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.”
He added: “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.”
However, 2027 presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore opposed the boycott campaign, arguing that 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 heightened concerns over the treatment of Nigerians in South Africa following reports of alleged xenophobic attacks and the death of Nigerian nationals, including Chika Ibe in Cape Town.
As of press time, neither Tyla nor her management had publicly explained why the Lagos concert was removed from the tour schedule, nor had concert organisers announced a cancellation or postponement of the show.
