South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos from the schedule of her APOP World Tour. A check on the singer’s official tour website on Friday showed that the Lagos concert, previously set for December 22, is no longer listed.
The updated tour itinerary retains her previously announced dates across Europe, North America and South Africa, but excludes Nigeria entirely.
As of the time of this report, neither Tyla nor her management has explained why Lagos was removed from the tour schedule. Concert promoters have also not issued any official announcement regarding the cancellation or postponement of the planned show.
Tyla had announced the APOP World Tour earlier, listing Lagos as the only Nigerian stop on the tour. The inclusion of Lagos triggered mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians calling for a boycott of the concert in protest against alleged xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.
Some users argued that South African artistes should not be allowed to perform in Nigeria while Nigerians allegedly face attacks in South Africa. Others opposed the boycott, maintaining that musicians should not be blamed for political and social problems in their countries.
Former Big Brother Naija housemate Pere Egbi urged Nigerian authorities to deny visas to Tyla and her team. His demand follows reports that Nigerian singer Ayra Starr and her crew were unable to obtain South African visas before a planned performance, which was later cancelled.
Reacting on 𝕏, Pere called on the Nigeria Immigration Service to take the same action against Tyla and her team, arguing that Nigeria should not continue to welcome South African entertainers while Nigerian artists encounter visa obstacles in South Africa.
The controversy intensified after social activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilise members of his “Ratel Movement” to prevent the concert from taking place if it proceeded. In a Facebook post, he declared that the Tyla show would not happen in Nigeria and criticised South African promoters and celebrities for failing to speak out against attacks on other Africans living in the country.
VeryDarkMan concluded his post with the hashtags #NOTOXENOPHOBICATTACKS #ratelmovement SAYNOTOXENOPHOBICATTACKS.
In contrast, 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, opposed calls for a boycott. Sowore argued that the singer should not be held responsible for xenophobic attacks allegedly carried out by other South Africans, stating that Nigerians should direct their anger at their real enemies and that Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.
Tyla’s decision to remove Lagos from her official tour schedule has added a fresh twist to the debate. However, it remains unclear whether the removal represents a permanent cancellation, a postponement, or merely a change in the tour itinerary, as the singer and her management have yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
