Tyla Removes Lagos Concert from APOP World Tour

South African Grammy-winning singer Tyla has taken Lagos off her APOP World Tour schedule. The Lagos show, originally set for December 22, disappeared from her official tour site on Friday. The revised itinerary still lists dates in Europe, North America and South Africa, but Nigeria is absent.

No Official Explanation Yet

As of this report, neither Tyla nor her management have commented on why Lagos was dropped. Promoters also have not issued any statement about cancellation or postponement.

Background of the Tour Announcement

Tyla announced the APOP World Tour earlier, with Lagos marked as the sole Nigerian stop. The tour was slated to end with shows in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9.

Public Reaction and Xenophobia Concerns

The inclusion of Lagos sparked heated debate online. Some Nigerians urged a boycott, citing alleged xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa. They argued that South African artists should not perform in Nigeria while such attacks continue.

Others countered that musicians should not be held accountable for their countries’ social issues.

Calls for Visa Reciprocity

Former Big Brother Naija housemate Pere Egbi urged Nigerian authorities to deny visas to Tyla and her team, mirroring the difficulties faced by Nigerian singer Ayra Starr, who reportedly was denied a South African visa days before a planned concert.

On X (formerly Twitter), Pere urged the Nigeria Immigration Service to apply the same restriction to Tyla’s entourage.

Activist Threats to Block the Show

Social activist Martins Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, threatened to mobilize members of his Ratel Movement to prevent the concert if it proceeded. In a Facebook post he declared the show would not happen in Nigeria and criticized South African promoters and celebrities for staying silent on attacks against fellow Africans.

He concluded with the hashtags #NOTOXENOPHOBICATTACKS #ratelmovement SAYNOTOXENOPHOBICATTACKS.

Opposition to the Boycott

2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, rejected the boycott idea, stating that Tyla should not be blamed for xenophobic acts committed by others. He argued Nigerians should focus on their real enemies and insisted that “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”

Current Status

Tyla’s removal of Lagos from her tour schedule adds a new twist to the controversy. However, it remains unclear whether the change is a permanent cancellation, a postponement or merely an itinerary adjustment, as no official statement has been released by the artist or her team.