Xenophobia: Tyla Removes Lagos From APOP World Tour Amid Boycott Calls
South African Grammy Award-winning singer Tyla has removed Lagos from the schedule of her APOP World Tour following calls by some Nigerians to boycott her planned concert over renewed concerns about xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
A review of the artist’s official tour itinerary on Friday showed that the Lagos performance, previously scheduled for December 22, had been removed from the list of tour dates.
The revised schedule retains concerts across Europe, North America and South Africa, but no longer includes Nigeria.
Tyla had earlier announced Lagos as the only Nigerian stop on the tour before the final performances in Cape Town on January 4 and Johannesburg on January 9. The announcement sparked mixed reactions on social media.
Some Nigerians argued that South African entertainers should not perform in Nigeria while reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians continue in South Africa. Others disagreed, saying musicians should not be held responsible for political tensions or the actions of individuals.
The debate also drew a response from political activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who opposed efforts to hold the singer accountable for the attacks.
In a post on X, Sowore wrote: “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.”
He added that “Tyla’s Lagos concert must go on.”
The controversy intensified after activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, said members of his “Ratel Movement” would oppose the event.
In a statement posted on Facebook, he wrote: “Tyla Show Will Not Be Happening In Nigeria.”
Addressing South Africans, he continued: “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.”
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.”
The statement concluded with the hashtags “#Notoxenophobicattacks #Ratelmovement Saynotoxenophobicattacks.”
Tyla’s decision to remove Lagos from the tour schedule comes amid renewed concerns over the safety of Nigerians living in South Africa following reports of fresh xenophobic violence and the deaths of Nigerian nationals, including Chika Ibe in Cape Town.
Neither Tyla nor her management had publicly explained the removal of the Lagos concert from the tour itinerary at the time of reporting.
